Loving You
by MoonfireHikari
Summary: A girl who was oblivious of her real past decided to tag along with a run-away assassin. Meeting with a certain black haired boy, they adventure to find the boy's father started. Little did she know about what is waiting for her ahead. The message bottle served a new path in her life. Having to kill and fight, would she choose the other path and leave him with his friend? KilluaXOC
1. Meeting an Assassin

**This is my first fic for Hunter X Hunter! I just love Killua! He's so cute!  
****Do read and review...constructive reviews are welcome, not-so-hard flames are too!**

Part 1: Meeting an Assassin

_She ran and ran and ran up the _windy_ road in the mountains as if the Grim Reaper was chasing her. Her long crimson hair flew in the wind. She soon stopped in front of a giant door. She turned around and saw that no one followed her. She heard a sound in the guard house near an ordinary sized door._

"_W-Who's there?" she stammered._

"_My, my...what is a little girl like you doing in the mountains?" a middle-aged man said._

_She backed away, trembling in fear and confusion. Her tears welled up and she started to cry in an instant. The man panicked and tried to calm her down. She soon stopped crying and looked up at the man._

"_Why are you here?" the man asked._

"_M-Mommy killed by bad men...bad men follow me...tried to kill me..." she replied, looking down._

"_Oh my! Your father?" the man asked._

"_He...died...a long time ago...by same bad men..." she said in an uncertain tone._

"_Hmm...what's your name? How old are you?" the man asked, observing the girl._

"_Mana...5 years old..." the girl replied, holding out her right hand and showing her five fingers._

"_Well, I will take care of your now. You can call me 'Grandpa' if you want," the man said, smiling broadly._

_Mana looked up at the smiling man. Her eyes welled up again. She threw herself into his arms and cried in his chest. The man rubbed her head and sighed._

* * *

"Grandpa, is Mike doing well? Why can't I see him?" Mana asked when Zebro came out of the door beside the guard house.

She threw herself into his embrace, hugging him lovingly. Zebro sighed as he patted her head.

"He's doing fine, Mana. Now, now, of course you can't...he might eat you..." he replied.

"Aww...he must be really cute. Whenever I go in and out, he won't come out," Mana said in a disappointed tone.

"That's because we enter through the front door..." Zebro explained to his grandchild.

She dragged herself back into the guard house. Zebro sighed and followed her into the house. Mana sat at her spot that Zebro made just for her and only she can sit there.

"You're all grown up now. 11 years old is quite an age. You should be a little mature," the man said to her.

"I know..." Mana replied, hugging her teddy bear.

"My, my, you sure are spoilt," the man shook his head.

Mana rested herself on her chair. Then, they suddenly heard a sound coming from the front door. Mana got up and rushed outside to see who was there. She was surprised to see a boy, a little older than her. He glared to her, she trembled a bit. He was holding a skateboard.

"Oh, my! Master Killua! What are you doing outside? I didn't hear any news about a new mission..." Zebro said, panicking a bit.

"He's an assassin?" Mana asked, observing the boy and getting a nod from her Grandpa.

"I have my reason," Killua replied in a low scary voice.

Mana went closer to him. Killua ignored her and looked away. She poked his right cheek, earning a scowl from him. Mana turned to Zebro. He was sweat dropping.

"He seems harmless," she stated.

"Ah, well..." Zebro didn't know what to say.

Killua held the hand that she used to poke his cheek just now. Mana looked at him. He glared at her again and she blinked her eyes at him. Killua turned to Zebro.

"Who's she? I never heard you had a daughter before..." he asked.

"She got lost here and so I took her in. She's actually my granddaughter," the man explained.

Killua looked at her again. Mana blinked again and then, she smiled. The boy let her hand go and looked away immediately. Mana circled him and observed him from head to toe. Killua acted slumber, ignoring her presence.

"Can I go with him, Grandpa?" Mana asked her Grandpa.

"Uh...if he says you can..." Zebro replied, uncertain of Killua's answer.

"Can I?" Mana asked Killua.

"If you can take care of yourself, then I'll let you come..." he replied, sighing.

Mana jumped on him and hugged him. She smiled happily and rubbed her face to his. Killua scowled again.

"Thanks! It's been awhile since I went out of this part of the mountain!" Mana said, still rubbing herself to Killua.

"H-Hey! Stop! D-Don't do that!" Killua stuttered.

He pushed her away and fixed his clothes. Mana happily stood beside him. Zebro sighed at Mana's behaviour.

"Don't you worry, Master Killua. She came from a ninja family actually. She has been practising over the years she lived with me," he explained to Killua.

"Hmm? A spoilt brat like her?" Killua was in doubt.

"Hey! I can open the door you just opened!" Mana stated angrily.

"That is something..." Killua said, looking at her, "Then, you can come with me…but don't burden me!"

Mana backed away when he said that. She looked at Zebro and the man nodded. She nodded back. Killua started to walk forward and so, she followed him from behind. He turned to his back and sighed when he noticed that she was following him.

* * *

Mana hopped to his side and observed his face. They were already at the basement of the Hunter Exam. There were many participants and none were like them. A fat man came up to them. Mana hid behind Killua as she sensed something from the man.

"Nice to meet you. The name is Tonpa. I tried and failed for 35 times here. So, you can call me an expert when it comes to knowing the opponents," the man explained.

"Can we really trust him?" Mana asked Killua in a whisper.

"Who knows…" Killua shrugged.

He showed and told them about most of the participants. Mana listened in interest while Killua yawned most of the time. Tonpa then took out two cans of drinks.

"Here, why don't you drink this to feel a little calmer. I'm sure you're both nervous," he said, handing the two the one can each.

Killua happily took it and gulped it down in an instant. Mana looked at him and then, at the drink. She knew that Tonpa had put something in it.

"Hey, are you drinking that?" the boy beside her asked.

"You can have it!" Mana replied, shoving it into his hand.

Tonpa observed her. She felt that she was being stared at and so she hid behind Killua again. The boy looked at her. He could feel her trembling in fear as she looked at Tonpa's perverted face. Killua turned to Tonpa with a glare and the man stopped staring.

"He looked confused…" Mana whispered.

"Yeah. Maybe the effect of his drink didn't kick in yet…or maybe never kick in…" Killua replied in a whisper too.

He took her to sit at the side of the basement beside a boy who was eyeing his laptop. He looked at them and then back to the screen of his lappy. Killua wanted to look around.

"If anyone bothers you, just kick their butts off. You're a servant of my family after all…" he told her.

"F-Fine…I don't really like hurting people…" Mana replied, looking down.

Killua then went to look around. Mana watched his figure disappeared out of her sight. She sighed when she felt some people staring at her.

**There you have it, my first chapter! I hope you like it? Or please, at least tell me if I need to correct something...**


	2. The First Phase

**Sorry, if Mana's development is weird...from this chapter onward, I will include a bit of her past for you to understand why she's like that,,,so, please review...I guess...flame me if you want, but not come find me and then set fire on me, that'll kill me...and I don't wanna die yet!**

Part 2: The First Phase

"_Mana, dear…why is it so hard for you to befriend someone?" Mana's mother asked the four-year-old Mana._

_Mana was under an apple tree behind their house. She was looking at the kids at the park beside the tree. Mana looked at her mother. She was smiling sweetly to her, making the girl to feel guilty if she tried to lie._

"_Because they like to talk bad of Daddy…and they kill animal…" she replied._

"_Kill animal?" the mother was confused._

"_Yeah! They killed Mana's kitten…and a doggie…and a squirrel…" Mana replied and started to cry._

"_Oh…" her mother was surprised, "But, that is no reason to not have friends…"_

"_Mana want friends….but, they don't like Mana…"_

"_Maybe because you're unfriendly…"_

_Mana puffed her cheeks. Her mother shook her head at Mana's behaviour. She sat beside Mana and let her daughter rest her head on her lap._

"_Mommy…when is Daddy coming home?"_

"_Daddy…won't be coming home anymore. He's in heaven…" her mother held her tears._

"_But…why?" Mana was confused._

"_B-Because that is h-he's new home…"_

_Mana stood up. Her mother looked at her. The girl's tears were falling non-stop onto the ground. She knew that Mana missed her father but yet the girl could not understand the meaning of 'death'._

* * *

Killua went back to where Mana was sitting with two cans of drinks that Tonpa gave to him. Mana widened her eyes as he gulped both down.

"Urgh…if you get sick, I won't help you," she complained.

"Yeah, yeah. I won't because I'm trained!" Killua said proudly.

He could hear many whispers about him and Mana. Mana got up and looked at him. He blinked at her in an innocent way. Then, he observed her clothing. She was wearing a soft blue sleeveless shirt that showed her stomach. She wore a red short sleeved jacket to cover her arms. Her skirt was a mini one and it was blue in colour. She was wearing shoes almost similar to his and her white socks goes up to her thigh.

"Hmm? Why are you blushing?" she was confused.

"What are you wearing?" he exclaimed.

"Huh? This is natural and casual…" Mana replied, looking at her clothes.

"But, everyone is looking at you in a perverted way!" Killua scolded the girl.

"Fine, I'll zip my jacket…" Mana sighed, pulling the zip up.

Killua sighed at her behaviour. She actually already knew about the stares yet she felt no urge of covering her tummy. She looked at Killua who was still annoyed of her. She smirked at him and he sweat dropped. She flipped her skirt once and he blushed furiously.

"D-Don't do t-that!" he exclaimed.

"Aww…you've never seen a girl's undergarment before…" Mana cooed and giggled.

'_This girl is crazy! Why did I ever let her come?' he screamed in his head._

He glanced around. He assumed that most of the male participants saw that and were now even more perverted than before. Mana was smiling at Killua's red face. It almost matched her hair.

"Don't worry…I'll only show you that," she whispered.

"Should I be proud?" he wondered.

Mana beamed and turned around. An announcement was made and the entrance for the Hunter Exam has ended. A man came to view. He was wearing a coat and had light purple hair.

"I am Satotz, the examiner for the first phase of the exam," the man introduced himself.

"He's tall…" Mana stated.

"Yeah…" Killua nodded as an agreement.

"Now, follow me to the destination for the second phase. That is the exam for the first phase," Satotz said and started to run forward.

The participants followed. Killua hopped onto his skateboard and started skating. Mana was angry that she was left behind. She dashed to catch up with him. But, he was faster than she was.

"Man…Killua you meanie!" she shouted angrily, waving her arms up and down.

She started to run again and soon caught up with a yellow haired boy with blue attire. She observed him but he didn't bother about her.

"You have such a nice hair…" she suddenly said.

"Hm?" the boy turned to his side.

Mana grinned. The boy smiled sweetly to her. They kept on advancing forward.

"My name's Kurapika. You are?" the boy suddenly asked.

"Mana! Nice to meet you!" she beamed.

A half naked man soon came to Kurapika's left side. He greeted Kurapika and the boy did the same thing. He took off his blue dress coat and put it into his sling bag. Mana watched as the two ran up to the front. She sighed as she was again left behind.

"I have to be faster!" she was fired up.

The girl dashed up the stairs of the tunnel to find a particular silver haired boy. She soon saw the boy with another boy of his age. She saw them passed the examiner and exited the tunnel, yelling, "Goal!"

The girl smirked and she dashed up the stairs up to him. She jumped at him and he was surprised. They both fell onto the hard ground. The boy in green attire looked confusedly at them.

"Get off!" Killua shouted at her.

"No! Why did you leave me?" she replied, shaking her head.

She was sitting on his stomach. He was glaring at her but she was not afraid at all. The boy beside them observed them even more.

"Hmm?" Mana looked at the boy.

"Oh, I'm Gon!" the boy said, holding out his hand.

"Mana," she replied, taking his hand.

Gon helped her up and then, helped Killua up. He brushed off the dust on him and then, glared at Mana. Gon looked at Mana who was now sticking her tongue out at him.

"Uh…that's impolite…" Gon said.

"It's polite enough when the situation has Killua in it," Mana replied.

Killua glared at the girl even more. She was acting slumber. He went closer to her, attempting to do something. She flipped her skirt. Gon's and Killua's faces were dark red. She giggled to herself.

"Honestly, Mana…" a voice said from behind.

"Oh, Kurapika!" she said, going up to the older boy.

Killua looked at the yellow haired boy. He was a little annoyed as Mana looked kind of attached to him even though he knew that she had just met him. Satotz soon announced that the journey had yet finished. They soon continue their way to their destination. They had to pass Numere Wetlands.

"Stick close to me," Killua ordered Mana.

"Fine…" Mana replied, going to his side.

They soon started to run again. Fog started to cover the swamp and they can barely see. Gon had stopped because he felt that his friends were in danger. Mana held Killua's arm as she was told by him.

"I think we're almost there…" he said.

"R-Really? I'm tired…" Mana replied, sighing.

They soon arrived at the destination. Mana rested herself under one of the large trees there. Killua sat by her side. She rested her head on his shoulder, earning a glare from him. The boy patted her head and she stirred a bit. Gon and Kurapika soon came to his view. He waved at Gon and the two came up to him.

"Babysitting?" Kurapika teased.

"Yeah, kind of. I'm glad you made it, Gon," Killua beamed at his new friend.

"Yeah!" Gon grinned happily.

Soon, Satotz announced that they should gather inside the building for the Second Phase. Mana was shaken by Kurapika. After she was awake, they went in. There were two examiners on the stage. Mana looked at the female one.

"Her clothes are more daring…" she mumbled.

"That's not the issue…" Killua replied.


	3. Specialty

**I finally got to update! It's not like I'm busy...I just had no idea of how to continue, guess its just too hard for me. I wonder can I keep up...**

Part 3: Specialty

The examiners for the Second Phase were Menchi and Buhara. Mana observed them and assumed that they were Gourmet Hunters. The place they were in is called Biska Forest Park. The girl observed the surroundings and it seemed like the place was set up for a cooking exam.

"Uh…I just heard something…" Mana said.

"I think it's Buhara-san's stomach…" Gon whispered to her.

"Your Second Phase will involve cooking!" Menchi announced.

"C-Cooking?" some of the candidates uttered, shocked.

"Alright! That's what I like to do!" Mana was all fired up, jumping happily.

"Ugh…it must have tasted weird…" Killua mumbled.

"Hey!" the girl glared at him.

The candidates started to complain. Mana didn't like it at all as it would affect Menchi's and Buhara's feelings. The woman proudly announced that she and Buhara were gourmet Hunters.

"Pfft…you've got to be kidding me!" a man said.

Mana glared at him but he ignored her. Some other candidates started to laugh too. Killua noticed how irritated Mana was but he didn't care to ask why.

"So, what should we make?" the #255 candidate asked.

"Buhara…" Menchi huffed.

"The required ingredient is pork. You're free to use any type of pigs…" Buhara explained.

"P-Pigs…I don't eat them that much…" the girl sighed, looking down.

Then, Buhara explained further about the cooking process and how they would be evaluated. Mana listened while Killua whistled around. Menchi added some warnings to the candidates as well.

"She looked hurt…" Mana mumbled, saddened by the disrespectful candidates.

The exam started once Buhara hit his belly and created a gong sound. The candidates rushed out to find the pigs. Gon slid down a steep and Killua followed. Leorio and Kurapika came next. Mana watched her steps and walked down slowly.

"Uh...they're chewing bones?" Leorio stated.

"Don't tell me…" Kurapika guessed, "They're carnivores!"

By the time he exclaimed that, the pigs noticed them and snored. The five started to run as they were chased by the pigs. The other candidates noticed.

"These are Great Stamps!" Mana exclaimed as she ran.

She almost tripped but Gon hurled her up. They kept on running and watched as the pigs used their noses to send the candidates flying. Gon found it weakness when it hit a tree and many apples fell onto that part. It was the forehead and so, everyone else hit the same spot for their prey. When Gon and Killua were about to go back…

"Hey, Killua," Gon said, pointing at something.

"Hmm?" Killua turned to where Gon was pointing.

He saw Mana with a pig in front of her. The pig was about to eat her, but she did nothing at all. She was sighing, as if deciding whether to hurt it or not.

"Ugh…I hate killing…" she sighed sadly.

The pig charged at her, but she remained there.

"Do you wanna die early?" a voice shouted.

Killua hit the pig's weak spot and it collapsed to the ground. Mana's eyes widened in horror. The boy turned to look at her with his squinted eyes. She backed away when she saw his eyes. Then, she looked down at the ground.

"Why didn't you stun it?" he asked in a scold.

"Uh…" she was speechless.

Killua looked at the girl who was looking at the ground. He noticed that she was trembling a bit.

"Killua, let's get going…" Gon interrupted.

"Sure…" the boy replied, turning to Gon.

He looked at Mana one last time before following Gon back to the venue with his prey. Mana looked at the pig in front of her. She sighed and dragged it along with her.

When she arrived at the venue with her prey, many of the candidates already presented their food. Most of them were rejected and she could see it from the look at their faces. She gulped as she went to a counter that was not used yet. She could here the candidates mumbles and Menchi's explaination for each of the dishes. She ignored the voices and thought of dishes to make.

"Hmm…ah, Killua," she turned to the boy.

The boy turned to her and then, immediately turned away. Mana sighed. She brought out her own knife. She decided to try and make a soup out of the pig. She cut the meat and only used half of the body to make the soup. She added some vegetables. Gon and Kurapika observed her cooking.

"Hm? Something wrong?" she asked them.

"No…but, isn't it hard to cut the pork into pieces?" Kurapika asked as Gon nodded in agreement.

"Yeah…but, I'm using my own knife and it's way easier when I use this than the ones provided," Mana replied, showing her knife at the size of a dagger.

The handle was in pink colour and had a diamond at the bolster between the handle and the blade.

"Let me play with it sometime!" Gon said eagerly.

"No way!" Mana replied, holding the knife tighter.

It was soon her turn to present her food. Menchi and Buhara observed it. Mana gulped, afraid of the outcomes. The woman took a sip with a spoon.

"Hmm…it's fine I guess…" she said.

"The first person to have passed…" a candidate whispered.

"But, this isn't fair!" candidate #255 shouted.

"Everybody failed! All! See you next year!" Menchi suddenly shouted.

She turned to Mana who was almost in tears at that time. She gave out a smile to the girl. Mana was confused. Menchi stood up and went up to her.

"Except for this one. Hers is a splendid one indeed!" the woman said.

Mana blinked. Killua and the gang were amazed. The other candidates protested. They were so angry that they threatened to hurt the girl. Mana panicked even more. She backed away but Buhara was behind her. Candidate #255 tried to hit Menchi but was stopped by Buhara. Menchi sighed.

"Buhara, don't interfere…" she said.

"If I don't do that, you might kill him…" Buhara said.

Mana widened her eyes at what were in Menchi's hands. The woman stepped to the front, going down each stairs. She explained that even Gourmet Hunter needs skills as she juggled her knife.

"That said…it would be excessive to fail every single applicants," a voice said from above.

Everyone turned to search for it. An old man jumped down from the airship of the Hunter Association. Menchi told them who the old man was. He was Chairman Netero.

"I work behind the scenes…" he said.

He pointed out to Menchi what are her mistakes and told her not to give in to her anger as she usually did. Instead of resigning her, he told her to propose a new exam for the candidates. She requested the Chairman for everyone to board the airship and head to Mt Split-in-Half.

"But, she won't be participating," Menchi said, pointing to Mana.

"H-Huh? Why not?" the girl asked, protesting.

"You already pass. Your specialty in cooking proves that you're not like the other candidates. Because of your skills at cooking, you passed. So, don't say that I gave you an easy way of passing, but say that you truly did move me by your cooking," the woman explained to her.

Mana nodded slowly. She glanced up at the others. Since the new challenge sounded easier, the other candidates didn't give her any death glares or such. Then, she turned to Killua. The boy sighed and looked away from her.

* * *

"_Mommy! Are you going to prepare dinner now?" Mana asked her mother._

"_Now, now, Mana. Don't get too excited…" the mother said, smiling happily._

"_Hmm…but I love cooking with you! What are you making?" the little girl asked, jumping excitedly._

"_You're one special child. I'm making steak tonight," the woman replied, turning to her work station._

_Mana rushed to the fridge to get the vegetables. Next, she went up to the sink with them and washed them. Then, she cut them. Most of them were broccolis and cabbages so it was no big deal for her to cut them. The mother watched her child and shook her head._

"_You really are special…no wonder, your father…" she sighed silently._

_Mana turned to her mother and blinked continuously at her._

* * *

Mana sat near the entrance of the airship. She thought of what her mother was trying to say at that time.

"Father...he died just like mother...but, was she trying to tell me something important?"

**There you have it! I'm sorry that it's not detailed enough...be sure to review!**


	4. A Reason for Hatred

**For part 3, I'll leave it hanging. what her mother wanted to tell her will be told in the later chapters...**

Part 4: A Reason for Hatred

"_Mana, pick any clothes that you like. I'll pay for it," Mana's mother said._

"_Really?" Mana looked at her mother, full of hope._

"_Sure, it's your birthday after all," her mother replied, smiling happily._

"_Yay!" the little girl said, running around the store and observing the dresses._

_The mother waited for her daughter to pick her clothes. She knew a group of people was eyeing them, but she didn't want her daughter to know. Mana picked a blue dress with pink sakuras on it. Her mother paid for it and then, they exited the boutique._

"_Mana, you will look wonderful in that dress!" the mother exclaimed smiling down to her daughter._

"_I hope so!" Mana said, hugging the dress tightly._

_Mana's mother suddenly pushed her into a small alley. Mana was confused but it was soon changed into a shock due to the scene before her eyes. A few men came out and one of them was holding a knife. They were all giving out a very scary aura. Mana watched as her mother tried to fight them all but it was to no avail. She was then stabbed by the person. A few drops of blood fell onto her face. Mana was shocked and stunned. She didn't know what to do._

"_M-Mana…d-dear…r-run!" the mother said before she breathed her last breath._

_The little girl watched as one of the men picked her mother's dead body. When they were discussing of what to do with the body, Mana took the opportunity to run. Three men followed her. She tried her best to increase her speed, almost stumbling once in awhile. That was when she reached Kukuroo Mountain._

* * *

Mana opened her eyes and noticed that she was in the airship. Beside her were Kurapika and Leorio, sleeping soundly as they were really tired out. She knew why. Since she was the only one who passed for the first exam, the others had to take the second challenge given by Menchi where they had to make boiled eggs out of Spider Eagle's eggs.

Mana got up and brushed off some dust on her clothes. Then, she exited the room to go find Killua, as always. She walked down the corridor until she came to a room where she heard noises. She opened the door and saw Killua along with Gon trying to catch a ball from Chairman Netero. She sat on the floor to watch them. Gon was the first to notice her.

"Hm? Mana," Gon said, stopping.

He went up to her.

"Didn't you two sleep?" Mana asked.

"Nope, not yet," Gon replied, grinning.

"Sheesh…you're so lively," Mana sighed.

Gon grinned again. He then waved to her as he wanted to continue playing the game. Soon, Killua stopped as he was tired. He stated that the old man only using his left hand and right leg and that he barely used the other hand and leg. Mana was amazed at his observation.

"You know how to piss me off, old man!" Killua shouted and then, called for Gon.

Gon stated that he wanted to play more. He explained that his new goal was to make the Chairman use his right hand. Killua gave up persuading him and exited the room.

"How about you, little girl? Do you want to give it a try?" Netero asked Mana.

"N-No, thank you…I'll be off! See you, Gon!" Mana replied, going to the door.

She bowed to the two before leaving to catch up with Killua.

"Killua, wait up!" she called as she went to his side.

"Leave me alone!" the boy replied, acting calm.

Killua bumped into two of the candidates. Mana panicked and tried to stop him from walking as one of the candidates called for him. They charged at him. That was when Mana was convinced that Killua was an assassin. In a blink of an eye, he killed both of them with his sharp nails. He then turned to her.

"If I hadn't stop just now, I might have killed that old man in order to get the ball," he said to her.

"Hmm…" Mana looked at the floor.

She was scared to look into his glare as it was a murderous one. He started to walk again, as calm as ever. Mana hesitated. She didn't know whether to follow him or not.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna kill you, you know…" he suddenly said.

"B-But…" she stammered.

He turned around to face her. Mana looked at him and then, at the two dead bodies. She started to tremble.

"M-Mother…was killed…" she muttered.

"Hmm?" Killua looked at her.

"Father…was…k-killed…" she muttered again.

"Hey…are you okay?" the boy asked, stepping closer.

"I…was s-so scared o-of killing…" she said, clenching her fists, "B-But…"

"Hey…" Killua called.

"You easily killed two people for no reason! How could you?" she burst into tears.

Killua was stunned to see her sad face. Mana cried and cried in front of him and he did nothing to soothe her or stop her. All he did was stared at her, not thinking of what to do. It was actually his first time seeing a girl cry.

"Y-You killed them…" she sobbed.

Killua walked to an empty room with a heavy weight on his back. He was carrying Mana. The girl fell asleep, tired out of crying so much. He placed her on a bed and covered her with the quilt provided. Then, he sat on the floor, looking at her face.

"Why do you have to make such a big deal? They would just waste their lives anyway…" he mumbled to himself.

Mana suddenly stirred and mumbled, "Mommy…"

She suddenly opened her eyes. Killua pretended to be asleep. He didn't want her to start asking stupid questions again. Mana sat up in bed, glancing up at Killua.

"I hate people who kills for no reason…why would they kill the people that had nothing to do with their lives…?" she said, knowing that he was still awake.

"That glare…was really scary. I've never seen anything like it…" she continued.

She lied down again, looking at the ceiling.

"If you…glare like that again…" she said, taking a deep breath, "I might be really scared of you and might even avoid from being close to you…"

Killua's eyes widened. He knew now that she hated murderers to the extent that she can't befriend one. He suddenly heard soft snores, so he assumed she fell asleep again. He just kept quiet and soon drifted off to sleep.


	5. The Real Truth

**Well...I tried...this is kinda hard. Anyway, I'll be having my final exam in two days' time!  
And,I'm procrastinating...**

Part 5: The Real Reason

By morning, the candidates arrived at the venue for the Third Phase. It was a high tower called the Trick Tower. The exam was for them to reach the tower base alive within 72 hours. One of the candidates tried to climb down the manual way and the four watched him.

"He's gonna die…" Mana mumbled pointing to her right.

A flock of gigantic birds flew towards them and the top-class rock climber was eaten in a flash.

"How are we going to get down?" Mana asked, walking around.

"Hey! Don't wander off alone like that!" Killua called.

Mana ignored him and kept on walking around. Killua was annoyed and so, he ignored her. Suddenly, he heard her called his name. When he turned, she was nowhere to be found.

"Huh? Where'd she go?" he wondered.

"She fell into the tower through a hole," Gon replied, noticing what happened.

"What?" Killua was shocked, thinking, "Let's find another hole like that!"

"Alright! I'll tell Kurapika and Leorio," Gon nodded as an agreement.

Meanwhile…

Mana got up and brushed off the dust on her. She looked around and found a table in front of her. On the table was a watch.

"If you wish to proceed, take the watch. Your challenge is to beat everything in your way…" a voice said.

She looked around but there was no one there but her.

"Who're you?" she asked.

"The examiner for the Third Phase," the voice answered.

Mana nodded. As there was no other way out, she took the watch and the table dissolved into the wall. Then, and entrance was revealed. The girl took a deep breath and stepped into the entrance. She followed the path. It lead to another room. There was a teddy bear at the centre of the room.

"Hmm?" Mana was confused, approaching it.

Her eyes widened when the bear grew bigger and ferocious. Then, it dawned to her that she had to fight it.

"I hate…fighting…" she sobbed.

She took out a six-pointed shuriken and threw it at the bear. It sheared off the bear's neck. As it was a teddy bear, it shrunk back to its normal size. The wall behind the bear spilt open, revealing Mana's next challenge.

"Huh? No way…" Mana was stunned.

In front of her, stood a woman with long scarlet hair, and a warm smile. She backed away seeing how the woman reminded of her mother. Mana looked down sadly, clenching her fists.

"If you don't fight me, you will never pass…but, don't worry, there's plenty of time," the woman said.

"W-Who are you…why do you look like my mother?" Mana asked valiantly.

"Hmm? If you want to find out, fight me," the woman replied.

Mana looked up at the woman. The smile was still on her face, causing Mana to tremble. The girl backed away, taking out her tonfa. She used her speed to disappear in an instant and appeared behind the woman. The woman acted slumber and turned around and immediately block Mana's hit with her tonfa.

"What?!" Mana exclaimed, jumping back.

"I am also from a ninja family…" the woman explained, stepping forward.

Mana backed away, scared.

"I'll tell you a story…" the woman said so suddenly.

The girl looked at her. The woman still had a smile on her face as she told her story.

* * *

"_Hello there, twin sister," a woman said to Mana's mother._

"_What are you doing here, Alliane?" Mana's mother asked._

"_Mom asked me to pay you a visit. She misses you…" Alliane replied, acting slumber._

"_Hm? I miss her too. But, if father keeps up like that, I don't want to return," Mana's mother replied replied reluctantly._

_Alliane circled her sister, observing her. The twin looked down as Alliane observed her, trembling a bit._

"_I heard you've got a daughter, twin sister…how's she?"_

"_Don't you dare bother her!"_

_Alliane smirked. Her twin knew what the smirk meant. She refused to take note of it. Alliane reminded her about how the family had enemies since ancient times and it was still not resolved. She was concerned about the safety of her twin sister's daughter._

"_I'll protect her at all cause…don't worry…" the mother replied._

"_Mommy!" Mana called her mother, running up to her._

"_Go! If they find you here, I'll be in trouble and so does Mana…"_

"_Fine…take care…"_

_Alliane made her way towards where she was heading. Mana reached her mother and she was picked up and cuddled. She watched Alliane as her figure went out of Mana's sight._

"_Who's that?" she asked her mother._

"_No one…no one important. Don't think about it," her mother replied._

_Mana looked at her mother's face. It was full of hatred and sadness._

* * *

"Y-You're mother's twin sister?" Mana was in disbelief.

"Mhmm...Rilliane's daughter sure is strong…" Alliane said.

"I thought…twin sister's family was all dead…" Mana sobbed.

"No, I survived…and ran away from home," her aunt explained.

Mana looked at her. Alliane smiled as she patted Mana's head. She gave her a necklace. It has a message bottle locket. In the bottle was a small rolled out paper.

"When you think it's the right time, open it…" Alliane explained.

"Okay…" Mana said.

Mana got into position to continue fighting the woman, but Alliane didn't want to. She told Mana to train with her instead. It took 48 hours of Mana's time to finish the intense training.

"Now, I'm sure your speed and strength would increase by now. Your mother told me to train you at least once…and I did…" Alliane said.

An entrance revealed itself. Mana was confused. She looked at Alliane who was still smiling.

"I let you pass now…" she said.

"Thank you…" Mana smiled.

She followed the path to her next challenge. In the last room was a man dressed in black. He had spiky red hair and squint black eyes. Mana was familiar with the way he dressed. Her heart was filled with sadness and anger.

"Hello, little girl. I never knew that you would be my opponent…" the man said.

"You're with the people…" Mana backed away.

"Yes, who killed your mother…" the man said.

Mana took out her tonfa and got into position. The man took out a knife and smirked at her.

"Tell you what…if you win, I'll tell you something about your father," he said, stepping forward.

"Father's dead! You killed him too!" Mana said, jumping at the man.

She threw a few shurikens at him, causing small bruises. Mana tried to hit him with her tonfa but failed as he dodged on time. Her eyes now gleamed with anger and confusion.

"Well, you're confused whether your father is still alive or not…" the man stated, smirking.

"Shut up!" Mana shouted, trying to hit him again.

"You can't win with an attitude like that," the man said, dodging each of her hit.

Mana put away her tonfa and took out her kunai. She charged at the man and caused damage as much as she could. The man did the same and Mana was bruised. The girl jumped away, breathing hard. The man approached her, attempting to stab her.

"Killua…" she mumbled.

She suddenly remembered all the training she had by herself, with her mother, with Zebro and…with Alliane just now. Even to be stronger in order to open the Zoldyck's gate by herself, she was willing to put up with all the trainings her Grandpa gave her.

"I can't lose now!" she said.

With one push, the man was stuck to the wall behind him. Mana approached him with her kunai. She placed it near his throat and glared at him.

"Tell…me what you know…" she growled a bit.

"Your f-father was the o-one who asked u-us to kill you and y-your mother…" the man stuttered.

"What? Why?" Mana asked, pushing the kunai nearer.

"B-Because he m-married another woman to s-settle a d-debt. Your mother knew about this, but s-she refused to t-tell you…your father actually married a member of the family that is your mothers' family's enemy…" the man explained.

"Thanks for the information…" the girl said.

She waited for an entrance to be revealed but there was no reaction on any part of the walls.

"Heh…my choice for you to pass is a one-on-one combat. Unless you kill me, you can't pass. I know how much you hated killing…" the man said, standing up.

Mana trembled. She just stood there staring at the knife that was near her throat. The man told her even more about her father, that he was living happily with the other wife and even got a son. Her father forgot about his old family as he thought both Mana and her mother were dead. The men didn't report about how they lost her and only killed her mother.

"You still have a sense of pity…" she scoffed.

"Huh?" the man was confused.

Mana backed away a bit and kicked the knife out his hand. She then kicked him on the chin and fell back onto her feet. She threw some shurikens at the man and he got stuck on the wall again. She stepped closer with the same knife she used to slice the boar in second phase.

"Goodbye…and sorry…" she sobbed, stabbing the man.

The exit was revealed and she stepped into the path and followed. Once she was out, her name and number were announced. Mana looked at her palms which has stains of blood on them.


	6. Confusions of Mind

**I barely able to write this...it's a bit off from my plot line...  
Anyways, reviews or flames are always welcome!**

Part 6: Confusions of Mind

Mana sat far from the other candidates that had passed. She waited anxiously for Killua, Gon, Kurapika and Leorio. There was not much time left. She just sat there, ignoring the food served and the announcer, announcing the candidates' names that had passed the phase. She sometimes took glances at her hands that were stained with blood.

"Why did they force me to kill…? Do they know I hate killing or something?" she mumbled alone.

The girl started to trembled, anxiety filled her minds as the time limit was running out. She looked around, hoping that she had missed Killua's and Gon's figure but no, she was sure that they hadn't past their challenge yet.

"Three minutes left…" the announcer said.

"Hmm…where are they…?" Mana mumbled.

Soon, a man came out, barely alive. He passed out and so the Amori brothers checked him up and apparently, he was dead. Mana ignored them talking and anxiously waited for Killua, Gon, Kurapika and Leorio. She observed each doors, hoping one of them would open up and reveal the four. Mana stood up and looked around. A door opened and three of the peopled she was waiting for exited it.

"Killua! Gon! Kurapika!" she beamed and walked up to them.

Leorio and Tonpa came out after that. They praised Gon for his smart thinking. The bell rang and the door to exit to the outside was opened.

"Did you have any hardship on your part?" Kurapika asked Mana as they walked to the exit.

"N-Not really…it was just as challenging though," Mana replied, not wanting to bring up about having no other option than to kill.

Outside, the examiner was waiting for them.

"Ladies and gentlemen, congratulations on having escaped Trick Tower. There are only Phase Four and the Final Phase left," the examiner said.

"Two more…" Hanzo said, relieved a bit.

"The Fourth Phase will take place over there," the examiner explained, pointing to an island, "Zevil Island. Let us proceed."

He picked his fingers and another his assistant came out with a trolley and on it was a box. Mana observed it in confusion but her mind was still having the slightest thought of the man she killed. She looked down.

"I will need you to draw lots," the examiner said, making some candidates confused.

"For what?" Pokkle asked.

"To determine who will hunt and who will be hunted. In here there are twenty-five numbered cards. In other words, your ID number is on the cards," the examiner explained.

He told them that they need to draw cards in the order by which they exited the tower. He asked the first person to come and it was Hisoka. Gon noticed his injuries. Mana ignored the people around her and thought of who might be her target and who would be targeting her.

"Something on your mind?" Kurapika asked.

"Huh? Oh, no! Not at all…umm, is it my turn?" she replied.

Kurapika nodded. She bowed as a sign she apologised because everyone as staring at her. Then, she rushed up to draw a card. After everyone got their targeted ID numbers, the examiner explained that their targets' ID tags were worth 3 points and their own were also 3 points. Other tags that they might get were all 1 point each and they needed 6 points to be qualified for the Final Phase. The time limit was one week.

"Let's hide our own tags…" Kurapika whispered to Mana.

"Huh? I don't need to do that…" Mana replied, thinking that even if she failed, there was nothing to it.

Kurapika shrugged. The applicants boarded a boat and it was soon on its way to Zevil Island. Mana sat at a corner, ignoring the fact that she was not with Killua. Meanwhile, the boy was confused as of why she was not that clingy anymore.

"Hey…" Kurapika called, coming up to her after talking to Leorio.

"Hi…" Mana replied.

The boy sat beside her, on the right. Killua saw the two and went up to them. He sat beside her too, opposite of Kurapika.

"Why aren't you so clingy anymore?" he asked her.

"No reason…having some thoughts…" Mana replied, looking down.

"Am I your target?" the two asked in unison.

"No…my target is #198…" she replied, still looking down, "But that's not bothering me…"

She sighed and told them about what happened in Trick Tower where she met her aunt and killed one of her father's men. She told them how she hated killing because her mother was murdered six years ago and she couldn't do anything, adding the fact that the murderers were sent by her father all along. She started to cry after that.

"It must be hard…" Kurapika said, patting her back.

"I'm s-sorry I poured it out a-all on y-you two…" she stuttered.

Killua got up and ignored her. He walked away, trying hard not to think about Kurapika calling for him. Mana wanted to be left alone, so Kurapika walked away too. They soon reached the island. They each were to get on the island every two minutes after the person before them.

"See you guys in one week," Mana said to them.

She got on to the island and rushed into the forest. She observed the surroundings and decided to hop onto one of the trees to search for her target.

"I wonder…should I search for father…?" she mumbled, looking up to the sky.

The day was getting darker and soon it was night time. Mana climbed higher to avoid her hunter to find her. She sighed and tried to go to sleep but failed. She sat up, staring at her numbered card.

* * *

"_Mana…you're such a good daughter. I'll give up everything in the world to just be with you forever…" Mana's mother whispered into her ears._

_She was half asleep, resting her head on the mother's lap. She wondered why her mother said that. She kept quiet and listened to her mother's sobbing._

"_I wish your father was here…" her mother sighed, caressing her hair._

_Mana sat up and stared at her mother. The woman forced a smile and patted her head._

"_Daddy will never come home?" the little girl asked._

"_I can't say for sure…" the mother replied._

Mana looked down, her tears started to fall. She didn't know what she should do.

* * *

"Your father was the one who asked us to kill you and your mother because he married another woman to settle a debt. Your mother knew about this, but she refused to tell you…your father actually married a member of the family that is your mothers' family's enemy…" she remembered what he father's men said.

"But, mother said that our family had a number of enemies…so, which was it?" she wondered.

Mana suddenly sensed someone watching her. She turned around, taking out her shuriken. A snake charged at her and she jumped away on time. She threw her shuriken at it, killing it immediately. Some more came out and surrounded her. She took out her favourite knife.

"Show yourself! You sure are a coward, making your minions do all the work!" Mana shouted.

A man dressed in a robe-like clothe came out. Mana was shocked to see that the snakes surrounded him in order to protect him from her. She glared at the man.

"You're the type that's hard to fight others. I can tell when you kept on staring at your stained palm in Trick Tower…" the man said.

"Grr…why do you care? I kill if when I want, if I want…" Mana replied, confused at her own words.

"Heh…so you're saying you can kill now?" the man said, approaching her.

The snakes inched their distance closer to her. They were waiting for orders to poison her. Mana backed away and jumped down. She looked up but the man was not there anymore. The girl didn't care where he was and started to run. She knew her limits and that she could not fight him.

"I just have to keep running…" she mumbled, running deeper into the forest.

She soon bumped into Hanzo who was hiding from someone. She was relieved as the man would never approach her if she's with someone else, or so she thought that way.

"Huh? Who are you hiding from?" Mana asked.

"Someone…I'm trying to get my target's ID tag…" Hanzo replied.

Mana turned to where he was looking and saw Killua. She jumped away and landed on top of a tree. Under it was Imori, her target's brother. Her guess was that he was trying to take Killua's badge. She smirked as she thought of a plan.


	7. Decision Made

**I assumed I got flamed...but I don't mind at all. What bothers me was that the flame...well, as it is a flame, I think it's reasonable enough for it not to explain why it said I'm rushed and I'm no author...**

**SO, dear Guest, please explain why so that you tell me that? I'm confused and I do wish to improve myself...  
**

Part 7: Decision Made

Mana waited for Imori to make a move on Killua but all he did was hiding himself from the said boy. She grew tired of waiting and decided to go to Killua instead. So, she jumped down a few inches away from Imori, half startling the guy. Mana smirked to him and promised to keep quiet though she already knew that Killua knew he was there. Killua turned to her.

"It's just you…" he sighed.

"So? I'm sorry but my target is just 1 number in difference to yours," Mana replied, smiling, "Can I tag along?"

"Just don't get in my way…" Killua replied, rolling his eyes.

Mana nodded and rushed to his side. Killua noticed her necklace and was confused.

"Hey, where'd you get that?" he asked, pointing at the necklace.

"Hmm? The necklace? My aunt gave it to me…in Trick Tower…" Mana replied.

"What's the message in the bottle?" the boy asked.

"I don't know. My aunt said that I should open it when I'm ready…" the girl explained, looking down.

"Suits you then…" Killua ignored her.

Mana followed Killua as they continued to walk forward, sensing that Imori was pursuing them. They soon grew tired of waiting. Killua approached Imori's hiding spot, thinking that he should make the first move. Mana could feel the anxiety that Imori felt. She sighed, thinking that Killua was too full of himself.

"Bro!" Imori said, turning around.

Killua blinked at them, listening to their conversations.

"We ran into troubles," Amori said.

"You're done right?" Umori asked.

He suddenly saw Killua in front of them. Mana took the opportunity to hide herself from them, acting as though she was not there. She was actually planning to snatch their tags when they were busy attacking Killua. Amori and Umori scolded Imori, stating that he was a softie.

"If you insist, that leaves me no choice," Imori said.

Imori approached Killua. He threatened him but all Killua did was stating that Imori was an idiot. Imori kicked him. Amori and Umori knew that it was a hard kick but Killua got back up.

"#198, huh? This is Mana's target…" he said.

"What? No way…" Imori said, checking both of his pockets.

"Since it's only a number off from the one I'm after…" Killua mumbled.

"I'll get the other two!" Mana's voice echoed around them.

The brothers looked around. Mana moved swiftly around them and landed beside Killua after that. He glanced up at her and she smiled stupidly, taking out two ID tags.

"Here, #199…" she said, handing the tag to Killua as he handed the tag she wanted.

"How did she?" Umori was confused as his badge was gone.

"Hmm…what are you gonna with this one?" Mana asked, referring to Amori's tag.

Killua took it and threw it in the air.

"You still have time to find it," he said and then, disappeared into thin air.

"That guy…leaving me here…" Mana growled.

She turned to the three frustrated guys. She pitied them but she must do her best to prove to Killua that she could be strong too. She grinned, waving to them before jumping onto the tree on top of her.

"Good luck finding it!" she called and then, fled.

Mana sat on a tree near the shore, waiting for the time for the phase to run out. She sighed, staring at her tag and the tag she needed to complete the phase.

"I wonder…why I am doing this…" she mumbled.

She remembered the first time she met Killua and how attached she was to him, not knowing what was beyond his gentle face and eyes.

"At first…all I thought was to get to know him and so, I was dragged into joining the Hunter Exam. Then, I met one of father's men…and knew the truth…"

She remembered the time she witnessed Killua killing two candidates for no reason and how she waited alone for Killua to appear in Trick Tower, wanting to be comforted. But, the boy simply ignored her.

"I guess…now all I want is to know what my father's reason of having so much debt and why would he want to kill Mother and I. Then, I'll avenge mother no matter what his reason is!" she vowed.

* * *

"The Fourth Phase of the exam has just ended."

Mana woke up after hearing the announcement. She looked down and saw that the boat was almost at the shore.

"Will the applicants return to the starting point at once? You will be given one hour of extra time…" the announcer stated.

Mana jumped down from the tree and rushed to the starting point. She kept on hearing the announcement as it stated that if they did not return on time, they would fail the exam. Killua appeared and saw Hisoka. All of them reached the starting point.

"Then we will now check the tags of everyone here!" the announcer said.

"#44 Hisoka-san, #53 Pokkle-san, #99 Killua-san, #100 Mana-san, #301 Gittarackur-san, #191 Bodoro-san, #294 Hanzo-san, So seven applicants have passed? Oh?" the announcer mumbled.

She saw three more applicants – Gon, Kurapika and Leorio. Killua was delighted to see Gon. He gave out a thumb up for him and he replied it with a thumb up too. The announcer read out their ID. An airship landed near them. They were asked to board it.

"Good to see you passed," Kurapika said to Mana.

"Yeah…" Mana beamed.

Kurapika patted her head before leaving her to join Gon and Leorio by the window. Mana walked around the airship, not knowing what to do. She soon bumped into Killua who was looking out at the sky too. He saw her.

"I'll be going now…" she said, turning away from him.

"Wait," he called out.

Mana froze, not turning to look at him. Killua went up to her side. He patted her head.

"Huh?" she was confused.

"Thanks for helping me out…you know, snatching the tag," he explained.

"I just don't want you to end up killing them…" the girl replied, looking down.

"I won't kill them. Anyways, have you decided what to do after this? I don't want you to keep on clinging onto me…" he said to her.

"Yes…I want to find my father…to avenge mother," Mana answered his question.

"Good luck then," Killua replied.

"I have an announcement for everyone," they heard the announcement.

Killua and Mana looked at each other. The boy shrugged and listened to the announcement.

"The chairman wishes to interview the remaining candidates. When your number is called, please come to the first reception room on the second floor," the announcer stated.

"An interview?" Mana was confused.

The first name was Hisoka. Then, it was Pokkle's and Killua's. After Killua's turn, it was Mana's. The girl sat in front of Netero and blinked at him a few times.

"Congratulation for being the only female applicant to have passed the Fourth Phase," Netero said to the girl.

"Thank you…" Mana replied confusedly.

"Now, I will start with a simple question. Why do you want to become a hunter?" the chairman asked.

"I guess…at first, I was just tagging along with applicant #99. But then, I realised I want to become a hunter so that I will be able to go around the world…in search of someone," Mana answered.

"I see…next, who are you keeping an eye on?"

"Umm…you could say #99, but also #404 and #405…" Mana replied, thinking of Killua, Gon and Kurapika the most.

"I see. Last one, who would you least want to fight?" the chairman glanced up at her.

"Hmm…least I would fight is #301, #44 and #99 because I highly doubt I could beat them. Plus, #99, #403, #404 and #405 are my friends and I respect them…"

"There two reasons for #99?" the chairman looked at her.

"Yes…I guess…" Mana replied.

"That's good enough. You're dismissed," Netero replied.

"Thank you," Mana said, getting up.

She bowed to the Chairman before exiting the room. She gave out a long sigh. She wondered what Killua had answered and what Gon, Kurapika and Leorio would answer. Gittarackur approached the door. Instead of opening it, he turned to the girl beside it. Mana bowed to him, sensing a weird sensation from him. She looked up at him.

"I know you're not who you are," she mumbled.

The man simply nodded and entered the room. The girl walked away, thinking about what the real Final Phase would be.


	8. Unexpected Event

**My main character is Mana, so the story will evolve around her...I explained that since I skipped some parts of the battle like between Kurapika and Hisoka and such...**

Part 8: Unexpected Event

The ten remaining applicants were brought to a hotel owned by the Hunter Exam Selection Committee. Mana looked around. The big hotel surrounded its garden and created a square shape if seen from above. The Chairman stated that they could use the place at their own free will until the battle concluded. A man dressed in tuxedo pushed in a board that was covered with a sheet.

"For the Final Phase, we will be having a one-on-one battle," the Chairman explained.

Mana gulped as she still had problems with fighting others. Plus, she is a female. What would the Chairman expect from her? She thought of backing away. She stopped when Netero pulled the sheet to reveal a chart that may be the sequence for the battle. She looked at it in confusion.

"So, only the last person standing passes?" Leorio asked.

"No. One win is all you need to pass," the Chairman replied, looking at each applicant.

"One win?" Gon widened his eyes.

"Then, this tournament is…" Leorio's words were interrupted.

"The winners are removed from competition, while the losers continue up the bracket. In other words, the person who finishes at the top will not pass," the Chairman explained, pointing at the top of the bracket.

"So, only one person will fail…" Hanzo said.

Mana sighed, guessing it might be her. She looked at her picture when Netero revealed the sequence of applicants for each battle. She widened her eyes as hers was between Pokkle and Killua.

"So, I have to fight either Gon or Hanzo-san or Pokkle-san...I will admit defeat if I have to fight Killua…" she mumbled.

"Interesting, right? After all, everyone has at least two chances to win," Netero said.

Pokkle questioned that fact as Gon and Hanzo had five chances of winning. The Chairman simply answered that the bracket was assembled based on their performances throughout the entire exam. Mana looked down as she was always clinging onto Killua for support. Killua asked him to explain how he scored the applicants' performances but the Chairman refused to tell and stated that it was a secret. He explained that the Hunter Exam considered three major criteria: physical strength, mental strength and overall impression. He explained each criterion as detailed as possible.

"The battle rules are quite simple. Weapons are allowed but no cheating. If your opponent admits defeat, you win. However! If you kill your opponent, you will be immediately disqualified with all other applicants passed and the exam ends."

"So, chances are that I have to make one of them admit defeat…" she mumbled to herself.

The exam started with Gon and Hanzo. It was quite a show, scaring Mana almost to death. Hanzo forced Gon to admit defeat but the boy refused to do so, causing Hanzo to put up a good fight with him although Gon tried to fight back. The boy was simply no match for Hanzo as he ended up with a broken arm.

"Killua…" Mana stuttered.

"What?" the boy half growled.

"I know how dissatisfied you are with the Chairman's way of evaluating us all. But, I think he has his reasons…be positive. He did witness Gon's potentials and plus, Gon is the son of a Hunter. Gon might be outstanding but I know you are far more outstanding than he is…" Mana said calmly, not realising that the boy only ignored her.

The first battle ended with Hanzo admitting his defeat. He explained to Killua why he did that and that he had another chance after this. Gon was then put into the waiting room. The second ended with Pokkle admitting his defeat. He suffered the same as Gon but did not want to lose his arm. Mana sighed as next was her battle with Pokkle.

"Heh…I'll surely wins against a girl," Pokkle said, positive that he would win.

"Might as well try and make him admit defeat…I don't want to have to fight Killua…" she mumbled, looking away.

Pokkle shot an arrow at her but she jumped away in the last seconds. She threw some shuriken at him but he simply rolled away on time. Kurapika noticed how much Mana tried not to hurt Pokkle. She was keeping her distance and all she did was throwing her shuriken at him when he close the distance between them.

"I'll tire him out soon…" she thought.

Pokkle shot some more arrows and tried to close in the distance between them again. Mana backed a way before he could grab her. She sighed as she did have to result into using a little bit force.

"Please, admit defeat…" she said to Pokkle.

"No way! I'm winning this battle," Pokkle said, determined, shooting another arrow, "You admit defeat!"

Mana jumped away on time. The other applicants wondered what she would do, especially Kurapika as he knew how much she didn't want to fight. Mana got into position, took a deep breath and brought up her hands to her side. The wind circled her.

"What is she doing?" Leorio wondered.

"Yeah, the wind became intense all of a sudden…" Kurapika replied, watching what Mana did.

The girl collected the wind into her palms and threw it at Pokkle, causing him to be slammed, not too harsh onto the wall behind him. Before he was back on his feet, Mana jumped to his front. She took out her knife and inched it to his throat.

"A-Alright! I admit defeat…" the guy said, scared that he might lose his life.

"Thank you…" Mana whispered to him.

Mana went up to Kurapika and Leorio. They congratulated her for her success. The girl forced a smile. She then excused herself to walk around the hotel.

"I can't believe…I fought again using _it_," she mumbled, looking down.

She got a drink form a vending machine and after an hour or two alone, she went back to the arena. It was Killua's battle with Gittarackur. Mana was confused why he didn't win against Pokkle and so, she asked Leorio and Kurapika. The two told her that he refused to fight Pokkle, adding that Killua said he had no interest in Pokkle at all. She gulped when the man pulled his needles out to reveal that he was Illumi. Killua sweat dropped.

"I-Illumi-sama…" she muttered, shocked.

"You know him?" Leorio asked.

"Yes. He is Killua's elder brother. Killua doesn't stand a chance against him. Grandpa told me that Illumi-sama was the one who trained Killua…" Mana replied.

Illumi provoked Killua, saying that he only found pleasure in killing and that assassins should not have friends. The boy stood up for himself, stating that he had a reason and it was to be Gon's friend. Illumi denied that fact threatened him by saying that he would kill Gon after hearing Leorio said that Gon had accepted Killua as his friend since the first time they met. When he approached the door, Kurapika, Leorio and Hanzo blocked him. He went back to Killua and held out his hand to him, saying that if the boy moved a muscle, he would start a fight just the same if his hand touched Killua.

"K-Killua…" Mana stared at the boy.

"I admit defeat. I've lost this round…" the boy said.

"Good! It's a relief that we don't have to go killing each other. I was just kidding when I said I would kill Gon," Illumi said, patting Killua's head.

He whispered something to the boy and then, went back to his pose. Killua walked up to Kurapika, Leorio and Mana. The two males tried to talk to him but failed.

"Killua…maybe I should…" Mana touched his cheek, observing his eyes.

"Don't you dare…" she heard a voice said.

The girl refrained form doing what she wanted to and glanced up at Illumi who was acting slumber. Mana backed away from Killua and went to Kurapika's side. It was Bodoro and Leorio's battle next.

"Huh, where's Killua?" Kurapika said.

Mana was stunned. She looked around for the said boy and noticed that he was right behind Bodoro. She could guess what would happen next and who was behind it. She rushed up there, ignoring the guards calling for her.

"Bodoro-san, look out!" she warned the man.

Bodoro turned around and was about to be stabbed by Killua. Mana appeared between them just in time. Killua stabbed her deep in the abdomen. Mana gasped as she tried to endure the pain, collapsing onto the ground.

"K-Kill-lu-a…" she stammered, covering her wounds.

"Mana!" Kurapika and Leorio called, rushing up to the girl.

She saw Killua walking out of the arena before she fell unconscious.


	9. Back to Kukuroo Mountain

**My, my...I'm off to my studies again next week. How time flies...  
Anyway, I told you, it revolve around Mana,,,so,,,**

Part 9: Back to Kukuroo Mountain

Mana opened her eyes and saw the ceiling. She sat up and held her head as she still felt a little dizzy.

"I see you're awake," a familiar voice said.

"Menchi-san…Buhara-san…" the girl turned to the two examiners.

"You passed out after Killua stabbed you. You lost a lot of blood, but he didn't hit any vital spots, so you should be fine in a few days or weeks," Menchi explained.

"You're lucky enough. That stab can actually kill you in an instant," Buhara was the next to talk.

"I see…" Mana said, remembering how she ended up being stabbed in Bodoro's place.

The two told her that she was in a waiting room and then, congratulated her as she was now a Hunter. They told her that the others were undergoing a briefing about the license. Mana questioned the fact that she passed as she interfered with another applicant's battle. Buhara said that she passed because Killua was the one who failed as the boy simply exited the arena all by himself. Mana looked down, her eyes welling up.

"Mana?" Menchi stared at the girl.

"I'm sorry…I was just thinking about how sad Killua must be…" the girl said, tears falling down her cheeks.

A knock on the door was heard and Buhara opened it. Gon, Kurapika and Leorio entered the room when Menchi approved of it. Gon rushed up to Mana's bed immediately. The girl forced a smile to him. The two examiners left her with her friends.

"I'm sorry I worried you…" Mana apologised.

"That's okay. Are you feeling alright?" Gon replied and asked, concerned that the girl was stabbed by her own friend who happened to be his too.

"I'm fine. Menchi-san said that Killua didn't hit any vital spots…" the girl replied, turning away from Gon's gaze.

Gon told her that he wanted to bring Killua back, adding that he already asked Illumi where he lived. Mana was taken aback by the boy's words. Killua added that he already looked up about the place and was going to book some tickets for the airship. Mana thought of her Grandpa.

"I guess we could…it has been awhile since I went home…" she replied, looking at her hands on her lap.

"It's your home too?" Kurapika asked.

"My grandfather, the one who took me in is a servant there. So, I was registered as one…but I'll be working once I turn 16," the girl explained.

"I see…then, you'll be coming with us," Leorio said.

Mana nodded. Kurapika excused himself to go book the tickets with Leorio following behind him. Gon turned to the girl and smiled.

"Can you stand?" he asked.

"Yes…" Mana answered, getting out of bed.

"Satotz-san told me everything, how you blocked Killua's stab for Bodoro-san and ended up getting hurt instead," the boy said.

"I didn't want him to feel guilty. I was surprised when he said that he was tired of killing…but yet he was manipulated by Illumi-sama..." the girl replied, standing up straight.

The two exited the room and went to a bench to wait for Kurapika and Leorio. They talked about their lives as they did. Gon told Mana where he lived and why he wanted to become a hunter. Mana told him her past and how she ended up with Killua at the Hunter Exam.

"I see you two getting along," Leorio said, coming up to them.

"Kurapika, Leorio," Gon said, getting up when he saw the two.

Mana got up too and they left after saying goodbye to the examiners and the new hunters.

"Take care now, Mana," Menchi said, smiling.

"Y-Yes…" Mana replied, returning the smile.

* * *

"_Mommy!" Mana called for her mother._

_The woman was doing some training in the garden. She stopped and turned to her daughter. She picked Mana up and walked up to a bench nearby._

"_What were you doing?" the little girl asked._

"_Hmm…I'm training," the mother replied._

"_For what?" Mana asked._

"_To be a great Specialist," her mother answered, looking up to the sky._

_She asked about Mana's wound out of falling from a tree the day before. The girl told her that it still hurt but not too much anymore. The mother put her down on the bench. She observed Mana's wound on her right knee. She put her right hand over it and before the little knew, the pain and wound were gone._

"_Whoa, Mommy! You're great!" the girl said, amazed._

"_This is what we called…" the mother was in doubt._

"_We called what, Mommy?" the girl brought her face closer to her mother's._

"_Never mind, forget what I said…" the woman replied getting up._

_She left her dazed daughter on the bench and continued with her training._

* * *

Mana, Gon, Kurapika and Leorio took a tour bus to Kukuroo Mountain. Mana told them it was a tourist site and that no one had ever seen the Zoldyck to be exactly. When they got there, the tourist guide explained to them about the giant gate in front of them, adding that it was also called the Door to Hades and that the only way to enter the estate was through the door near the guard house. Two bounty hunters who were on the same bus as them went up to the guard house.

"Open the gate!" they demanded.

"I c-can't do that! The master will not be pleased…" a familiar voice said.

"Grandpa!" Mana suddenly said, recognising the voice.

"M-Mana, wait!" Kurapika called when the girl rushed up to the guard house.

Mana rushed to the guard house.

"Leave my Grandpa alone!" she shouted at the two men.

One of the two men holding a giant sword turned to her. Mana backed away a bit.

"Maybe we can use her for the key…" he said to his partner.

"Hmm?" the man who was holding Mana's Grandpa glanced up at the girl.

Soon, they got hold of the key as Zebro was worried that they might hurt Mana. They readily opened the door and entered. An echo of scream could be heard after a few minutes. Mana went to help her Grandpa. When the door creaked open by an animal known to Mana, the bones of the two men were thrown out. The tourists were terrified. They got on the tour bus and fled, leaving the four after trying to convince to get on the bus.

"Grandpa, are you okay?" Mana asked Zebro.

"Yes. Man…Mike's going to end up eating between meals again…" Zebro said.

"Again?" Mana was surprised at his words.

Gon, Kurapika and Leorio looked at each other. The old man simply got up and rubbed off the dust on him. He looked up at three males. He invited them to sit down in the guard house and served them tea. Mana went up to her spot while the others explained to Zebro why they came. She smiled as the teddy bear was still there. Then, she went to where the four were sitting as Zebro called for her.

"These are my friends…" Mana explained, looking down, "…and Killua's…"

"I see…I am Zebro, the gatekeeper and Mana's Grandfather. It makes me happy as this is the first friends have ever come to visit," the old man said, smiling happily.

Zebro told to them that he was always lonely ever since Mana left as people rarely visit the place. He explained about Mike the guard dog of the Zoldyck, the Testing Gate and told them that they could not pass through the door. Kurapika was the first to guess that the giant gate was not locked and Zebro told him that he was correct. Mana told them that they need enough strength to open the gate and the weight of the gate doubled each.

"Killua-sama simply opened the third gate by himself," Zebro said.

"Will you hand me the key to the door," Gon said, determined, "It's wrong to test your friend…"

"Gon…" Mana looked at the boy, turning to her Grandpa, "Don't you wanna try calling the butler residents?"

"Ah, right! Let's go with that! Maybe they can let you speak with Killua-sama," Zebro said, patting Mana's head.

The girl grinned. Zebro's request to speak with Killua was denied. He called again and let Gon on the line but the same thing happened. The boy was pissed off and said that he would climb the gate. Zebro told him that he would open the door for them but Gon refused as he didn't want to burden the old man.

"I'll open it…" Mana suddenly said.

"Mana dear…" Zebro wouldn't let her.

"You're still wounded," Kurapika said.

She told them that they should go to Zebro's cabin first. So, they took the door.

**This one...I was dissatisfied myself...but I didn't want it to be too long or too short...**


	10. An Ordinary Girl

**The semester will be pretty busy, new subjects, new tests, new books, new understanding! I'm gonna be damn tired!**

Part 10: An Ordinary Girl

Mana ignored Zebro's discussion with the three boys. She went upstairs to her Grandpa's room and changed her clothes to an ordinary dress that she would always wear. She noticed the bed was not properly made and so, she fixed it. After that, she went downstairs. She saw Seaquant not far from where Kurapika, Gon and Leorio were struggling to open the bathroom door. Mana giggled at them. She went up to them.

"Let me help," she volunteered.

"Hmm? Are you sure?" Kurapika was in doubt that she could open it.

"Mana, don't bother helping them now. They're training to open the gate. With the three of them, I'm sure they could," Zebro called for her.

"You made them wear that too?" Mana asked, looking at the heavy vests they were wearing.

She apologised to her friend and rushed to her Grandpa in the kitchen. Her Grandpa was busy washing the tea cups. Mana sat on a chair and waited for him to be done.

"Gon is really determined. He told me that Killua is his close friend and if he was there, he would have stopped Killua," Zebro said.

"I know…I tried, but Illumi-sama's…power…was far stronger. It's scary to be manipulated," Mana replied.

"Kurapika told me that you saved the applicant and ended up getting stabbed instead?" the old man turned to his granddaughter.

Mana nodded. She put her hand at where Killua had stabbed her. Zebro went up to the girl.

"The wound is deep, but I won't die from it. I didn't want Killua to feel guilty…so, please don't tell him. I hope he didn't remember it…the fact that he almost killed me," she said, looking away form Zebro.

"I'm sure he won't…" the man smiled to her, staring at the girl, "Tell me, how was the exam?"

Mana smiled and told him everything. She told him how she was always in Killua's way and ended up entering the Hunter Exam, adding the fact that she witnessed him killing two applicants. She told him about her meeting with her aunt and one of her father's men. She added the fact that she knew the real truth and wanted to find her father to avenge her beloved mother.

"I'm going to town tomorrow," Mana requested.

"Alright…but be careful and no talking to strangers."

Mana smiled and nodded to her Grandpa. She rushed upstairs to go to sleep.

* * *

The next day, Mana decided to prepare breakfast for all of them and she did. She smiled seeing how they enjoyed it. The boys seemed quite surprised at how well she could cook.

"You three are going to train today?" Mana asked.

"Yeah, we need to keep training to open the gate," Kurapika replied.

"Good luck," the girl said.

She got up and picked up the plates to wash them. Then, she got ready to head to town. As she exited the door near the guard house, she noticed Kurapika and Leorio struggling to open the Testing Gate. Mana smiled at them before starting to walk to town. The twon had a square and what surrounded it was majority stores and restaurants along with offices, including motels and inns. She went to a building that mainly had textiles and fabrics stores. she chose one with a very cute banner with a cat face winking and lights and such.

"Now, I need to get some yarns or threads will do…" she mumbled as she observed the fabrics around her in her favourite textile store.

She sighed as she thought of her friends. A frail old woman who tied her hair in a bun saw her and beamed happily. She was not any taller than Mana.

"Mana-chan, is that you?" the old woman said, startling the girl.

"Ah, Grandma Minochi is it? Yes, it's me, Mana," the girl replied, turning to the old woman.

"Ah, it really is you! My, how long has it been since I felt you massaging me…" Minochi said.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I went to take the Hunter Exam," Mana explained, smiling.

"Oh, my! You're a hunter now?" Minochi was amazed.

Mana nodded to the old woman in front of her. The old woman patted her back and praised her. Then, she asked what Mana was looking for. The girl simply explained that she was looking for some materials to make string bracelets for her friends to tie around their wrists. She wanted to find the suitable colours for them.

"One looked as if he loves green, one looked like he loves blue and the other…I can't say…" Mana continued to explain.

"Why don't you choose the colour you think that are suitable to them," Minochi suggested.

"I guess…" Mana replied.

She bowed to the old woman and continued her search.

* * *

Mana reached home late in the evening. She entered the cabin and saw the three resting on the chairs.

"You're back?" Gon said, looking at her.

"Hi, how was training today?" Mana said, putting her things on the table.

"Great…but the date wouldn't even budge," Kurapika replied.

"Well, it's almost dinner anyway. I'll cook you guys something to get your strength back," the girl stated, going to the kitchen.

"We're really sorry to burden you," Gon apologised.

"Are you kidding? We need food!" Leorio said to Gon.

"It's okay…Grandpa insisted that you guys train to open the gate. I'm sure you can. Besides…I want to see him again…" Mana replied, putting on an apron.

She started her cooking as Zebro went down the stairs from his room. He smiled to the three and noticed some paper bags on the table. He knew that Mana was back. He went to the kitchen to find that the dinner was almost ready.

"Need any help?" he asked.

"Oh, no thank you. I'm almost done," Mana replied, cutting some cabbages.

"Be careful with the knife," the old man said, remembering how she used to be clumsy and accidentally cut her finger.

Mana nodded. She was soon done and rushed out to serve the dinner. It was black pepper steak, decorated with cabbages and a broccoli or two. Mana poured some mushroom sauce onto each steak. Leorio looked hungrily at his dinner, drooling. Zebro sat down with them to eat too.

"You guys eat up first. I'm going to send Seaquant-san his dinner…" Mana announced.

The three nodded and stared at Mana. She was wearing a purple lacy dress and had her hair tied into a pony tail. She didn't look a bit like the girl they knew during the Hunter Exam. She excused herself to go upstairs to put the things she just bought in her room. Then, she went downstairs and exited the cabin to head to the guard house.

"She looks just like an ordinary girl…" Gon said.

"Yeah, a lot different from the girl we knew back then," Leorio agreed.

"That's who she really is…she's just a typically girl who likes to cook and clean the place up. She did all she could to prove her worth of being a servant of the Zoldyck. She didn't want to be left behind," Zebro explained.

"You mean, she's always like that?" Kurapika asked.

"Yes, she's always been like that," the old man replied.

"Her cooking is amazing too," Leorio exclaimed, gobbling his steak.

Gon stared at his food, thinking of Mana. He knew that she had a lot to think about, including about Killua. He just hoped that she'd stick with them for a little while longer.

* * *

Mana woke up in the middle of the night as she heard sounds in the forest. She exited her bedroom and went downstairs. She peeped through her friends' room and noticed one of them missing. She went outside after that.

"Gon?" she guessed when she saw a familiar figure not far from the cabin.

"Ah, Mana," Gon said, standing up straight.

"You're training?" Mana asked, looking at Gon.

"Yeah…Kurapika and Leorio wouldn't let me, due to my broken arm. But, I want to open the gate too," he explained.

Mana stared at his arm. Gon smiled to her.

"How're you? Is the wound still hurt?" he asked her.

"Hmm? Yeah, kind of. But I'm perfectly fine," Mana replied, walking up closer to him, "Want you arm to heal?"

Gon blinked confusedly at him. Mana took his broken arm and touched it with her palms. Gon could feel wind wrapping his arm, then, he felt nothing.

"The pain should go away soon…you can train with them now," the girl explained.

"Mana…why didn't you tell us? That you don't like to fight and you wished to be an ordinary girl?" Gon asked.

"I do wish that…before I knew my father's scheme. But, now, my top priority is to find him…" Mana replied, smiling ever so sweetly.

**How's that? I added a description about the town though there's really none in the anime. I could only see a glimpse of it when the asked about Kukuroo Mountain. I simply used my own imagination.**


	11. Back with Him

**Busy,busy,busy... I am so busy that it's hard to write my fic now! I can update anytime I want...though I had to write them late at night...  
Anyway, don't forget to leave a review...!**

Part 11: Back with Him

Mana watched Kurapika and Leorio training during the day and helped Gon with his during the night. The day for them to open the gate soon came. Mana and Gon stepped back as told by Kurapika. He and Leorio pushed the gate as hard as they could. Seaquant told them that they should exert the same pressure at the same time on each door. Gon turned to Mana and the girl nodded to him with a smile. He took off his bandage and rushed to help his friends.

"Gon, you arm?" Leorio asked, concerned.

"Don't worry, it healed already…" Gon replied.

The three counted to three and pushed the gate hard. It flung open in a minute or two. Mana was delighted to see them able to open it. She rushed to them and helped Gon up to his feet.

"You guys did it!" she said, beaming happily.

"Yeah, we sure did…" Kurapika said, catching his breath.

Zebro came up to them. Mana went to his side.

"You'll find the butler's headquarters up ahead," the old man said when the three were ready to depart.

"Mana, are you coming?" Gon asked.

Mana shook her head. She looked down, avoiding eye contact with all of her friends. Zebro explained why she didn't want to go, saying that she had something to do and that she wanted to help him with his work. Gon stared at Mana.

"I'll wait for you at the guard house, okay?" Mana said.

"Hmm…if you say so," Gon replied, still wanting to persuade her to come with them but refraining from doing so.

"Good luck! Please…bring him back," the girl stated her wish.

"We will," Gon replied.

They started their walk up the mountain. Seaquant came up to Mana and Zebro, saying that they would never pass the trainee butler. Mana was confused of what they were talking about. She excused herself and went back to the cabin alone.

"Time for me to start working on those..." she sighed and walked up stairs.

* * *

"_Mommy!" a two-year-old girl toddled in a rush to her mother._

"_My, my! Her first word really id 'Mommy'!" the father exclaimed, picking up his daughter._

_The mother walked up to them with a smile. She took the girl into her arms and turned to her husband._

"_You were never home. How do you expect her to remember you?" she asked._

"_I'll settled down soon enough...once my debt is all paid," the husband said, kissing his wife's forehead._

_The girl had no idea of what her parents were talking about, yet she listened attentively to try and understand their conversation. She blinked at her father a few times before turning to her mother. Before she knew it, her father had to leave again. She didn't cry as she was used to it since she was one year old._

"_Oh, Mana...I wish you'd know the truth, but you're still just a toddler..." the mother mumbled._

* * *

Mana pricked her thumb yet again as she did her work. She sucked on it and thought hard about her father.

"If I was already old enough to think at that time, I could prevent Father from always going away...maybe even prevent Mother's death..." she mumbled to herself.

The braided strings of yarns she wanted to give to each of her friends were finished. The girl changed her clothes and wore a sleeveless black dress and put on a small white coat. Then, she took her sling bag and rushed out of the cabin to head to the guard house. When, she arrived Zebro was talking with the four.

"I'm glad you're okay, Killua-bochan," he said to his young master.

"Yeah, I'm glad father lets me go..." Killua replied, grinning.

"Ah, Mana!" Gon called when he saw the girl at the entrance of the guard house.

Mana trembled a bit as her eyes locked onto the silver haired boy, observing the wounds on his face. She assumed he was caned. Killua acted slumber, ignoring her existence. Gon pulled her in.

"H-Here..." Mana stammered, handing each of the boys the string of yarns, "It's a g-gift...tie it a-around your w-wrist..."

Mana avoided eye contact with them. The boys observed their strings as they tied them around their right wrist. Red and yellow for Kurapika, green and black for Gon, purple and blue for Killua as well as blue black and light orange for Leorio.

"You're not coming with us?" Gon asked, a bit sad.

"W-Well..." Mana mumbled, glancing up at Killua.

"Hm? What?" the boy half snapped.

"N-Nothing! Y-You did say...you didn't want m-me to cling onto y-you anymore..." Mana stammered, hiding behind her Grandpa.

Zebro smiled at the girl as she clung onto him. He turned to the four boys.

"Will you let her come? She really is determined to find her father. Maybe by going with you, she could gather clues of his whereabouts," he requested.

"But, won't you be lonely if she comes with us?" Gon asked the old man.

"Ah, yes, I will...but, that does not mean I should stop her from her dream..." Zebro replied, calmly looking at the girl beside him.

Mana looked at her foster grandfather with her gleaming eyes. She knew he wanted her to stay but she wanted to go find her father. The girl was frustrated as she was not in the mood to choose.

"I..." her words were interrupted.

"If she really is that determined, taking her is no trouble at all. But, she has to learn how to defend herself better," Killua spoke up, glancing up at the girl.

"Isn't that great, Mana? Now listen, you must write me a letter once in awhile and tell me about your adventure. That way, I won't feel too lonely," Zebro said after squatting down to match Mana's height.

Mana looked at Zebro and then, at the four. Zebro brought his right hand and rested it on her head, rubbing it at times. She forced a smile and hugged her Grandpa, holding her tears. She said goodbye and followed the group to town as they talk about the Head Butler, Gotoh's trick on Gon.

"Grandma Minochi!" Mana called when she saw the figure of the mentioned old woman.

The woman smiled when she saw Mana waving at her. The girl rushed up to her, ignoring the confused boys. They followed her from behind.

"Mana, dear, are you heading out again?" the old woman asked.

"Yes, I am..." Mana replied, smiling.

"My, my...your Grandpa will be lonely..." Minochi said.

"Um...I promised to write once in awhile..." the girl looked down.

Minochi stared at the four boys behind her. Mana introduced her friend to Minochi and the boys greeted Minochi with smiles. The old woman simply observed each of them, making them sweat dropped as they glanced up at one another.

"Hmm...You have strong men around you, Mana, dear. Be a good girl and never betray them," Minochi said to Mana.

Mana blinked a few times before nodding. She watched as the old woman said goodbye and walked up the path to a bakery. Mana turned to the boys who stared blankly at her.

"You are one weird girl, making friends with an old woman," Killua mumbled and no one heard him.

They boarded a train away from the town near Kukuroo Mountain. Mana walked around as Gon didn't want her to know what he planned before heading home to continue his search for his father. Mana assumed that she would eventually know as she would be sticking with Killua who preferred to go with Gon. They soon got down and Kurapika was the first to bid farewell.

"I need money for the auction. I want to find a patron that would hire me as a hunter," he explained.

"Auction? Yorkshin Auction?" Mana asked Killua, turning to him.

"Yeah, we're planning to meet Hisoka there...for Gon..." Killua replied, not wanting to tell her more.

"Then, I should head home too. I must start studying for the medical school," Leorio explained.

"Okay! Good Luck!" Gon said as Mana nodded.

"Till we meet again..." Leorio said.

"Yes...that is on..." Kurapika said.

"September 1st in Yorkshin City!" the four said.

Mana felt left out but she refrained from showing it. She looked down. The only one who noticed her sadness was Kurapika. He patted her head and smiled to her.

"Hope to see you there too," he said.

"Don't forget me," Mana muttered, earning a nod from him.

They bid farewell to Kurapika and Leorio.

"Now, there's only the three of us. What do you want to do, Killua?" Gon asked the boy.

"You have to ask? We train, obviously," Killua answered.

Gon asked why and was scolded by Killua as the boy added that he won't be able to punch Hisoka without training. Then, he dribbled faces on the ground and stated the differences of strength of Hanzo's, Hisoka's and Gon's before estimating his. The two looked at each other.

"I-It's fine if I don't k-kill...there's n-no harm in t-training, I think..." Mana stammered when the two turned to her.

"If she's fine with it, then I know a place where we can train and earn cash at the same time," Killua stated.

"Train and earn money?" the other said in unison, blinking at each other.

"Heavens Arena," Killua said.

"H-Heavens Arena!? Not there!" Mana refused.

"You knew about the place?" Gon asked her.

"I read it and asked Grandpa once...he said that it is where the strongest people compete in order to reach the 200th. Once there, they would need ten wins to challenge the Floor Master..." Mana said, explaining more.

"I get it already. But, why do you hate it?" Killua asked, looking at her.

"F-Father..." Man stammered, looking down.

The two boys looked at each other before turning back to her. She was still looking down, trembling.

* * *

_Mana and her mother were brought to a big tower which was an arena - Heavens Arena. Back then, the arena was already so popular among people who wished to test their strength. The Father simply told the mother that he would be training here for a few days to earn some easy money._

"_Are you sure?" the mother was in doubt._

"_Yes, I'm sure...I can handle a few floors, I think..." her husband replied._

"_I see...be careful," the mother said._

_She picked up her three-year-old daughter. She waved goodbye to her husband and then, exited the arena to find an inn to rent a room so that she could wait for her husband to finish._

* * *

"That was when I last saw father...he brought us there but never returns for us after his first match. A few days later, I found Mom crying so hard...but, I was three...how can I ever know what had happened," Mana told them her story.

Gon pulled Killua a little further from Mana and discussed something with him. Then, they boarded an airship to the arena.


	12. Heavens Arena

**I'm so tired today! I managed to do my laundry WITHOUT using the washing machine...hahaha! That's my first time! well...I'm just too satisfied with the reviews for Chap 11! Thank you all!**

Part 12: Heavens Arena

Mana dragged herself to the Heavens Arena, the 251 storeys tower painted in white. The highest floor was where the battle Olympia would be held. Mana lined up behind Gon. The boy gazed at the building in front of him. Killua told him that the registration had no conditions unlike the Hunter Exam.

"You just have to defeat your opponent. The higher you go, the more money you'll earn," he said, turning to Gon.

"Are you sure she'll be fine?" Gon asked, referring to Mana.

"I can't say..." Killua repleid, ignoring Mana.

"I'm fine, Gon. I need to polish my skills anyway. I can't be too soft with an opponent..." Mana said to Gon as if sensing that the boy was worried about her.

They soon reached the receptionist. Gon and Killua registered their names and got their numbers. Mana hesitated to write her name on the form. The two boys stared at each other, waiting for her to get it done. The silver haired one sighed.

"You don't need to push yourself," he suddenly said to her.

"N-No, I'll register..." Mana replied, writing her name down.

"Mana Nikumenai-san, your number is #2059," the receptionist said.

Mana nodded. She turned to the boys and smiled.

"That's the first time I heard your full name," Gon said as Killua nodded.

"Y-Yeah...I tend to not tell others my full name. That's the one Mother gave me after father left us...I don't use father's family name after he left us because Mother forbids me..." Mana replied.

There was an awkward silence in the air. Killua broke the silence, saying that they should be heading to the arena of the 1st to wait for their numbers to be called. The three found some empty seats. They sat there, watching the match in front of them. Soon, Gon's number was called. Mana could sense that Gon was nervous.

"Gon, you were able to open the Testing Gate right?" Killua asked him.

"Yes, why?" Gon replied, curious.

"Then, all you need to do is push really hard," the silver haired boy said to him.

Gon nodded. He approached his opponent. The audience told him to run as in mocking him, adding the fact that he won't win. The referee explained the that all they needed to do was demonstrate their powers to each other. His opponent was quite muscular and was actually confident that he could win with one punch. Gon easily dodged his first punch and pushed him hard, sending him to the wall behind him.

"That was incredible!" Mana exclaimed.

"You got to open the gate too, right?" Killua asked Mana without looking at her.

"Y-Yeah..." Mana replied.

His number was called after that. Killua went down to the arena. He beat his opponent with just a chop at the neck. Another boy who had brown hair beat his with endless punches on the belly. Mana's number was called after that.

"Guess I have to do what I can," she mumbled.

"Huh, hey look! It's a girl!" an audience said.

"Go home and help your Mommy to cook, little girl!" another one shouted, laughing in the process.

Mana stared at her opponent. He was 4 times her height in and had a slender but firm body figure. She gulped at him as she diubted she could win.

"Ready to give up?" he mocked her.

"You have three minutes to demonstrate your powers," the referee said.

When the referee signed the match to start, the man charged at her. Mana jumped away and landed behind him. She gave a kick on his back, sending him forward. Killua and Gon watched as she swiped the man's feet just as he stood up. The man hit his head hard on the floor and passed out instantly.

"That was quite a performance. You can proceed to the 50th floor," the referee said to her.

Mana nodded as she took her ticket. She rushed up to Killua and Gon. Gon praised her for her bravery and courage. Killua was just glad that she could pull a stunt or two, yet he refrained from showing that he was. The girl forced a smile though deep in her heart she wanted to stop.

They took an elevator along with the boy from before. The woman who guided them explained about how the system of winning and losing in the Heavens Arena worked.

"I heard that when you pass 100th floor, you get your own room," the boy behind them said.

Mana, Killua and Gon turned to him. The boy introduced himself as Zushi. They exited the elevator once they arrived on the 50th floor. Zushi praised Gon's and Killua's fight on the first floor, saying that it was amazing. Killua stated that he was amazing too, having to beat his first opponent instantly too.

"I still have a long way to go," Zushi said, being humble, "By the way, which martial arts discipline do you practice?"

He told them that his was Shingen-ryuu style. Gon and Killua merely said that they didn't go to any school. Mana simply replied she learned hers since little but never paid attention to what style it was. Zushi was more amazed than before.

"By the way, you're very young, Zushi..." she said.

"Ah, yes. I still have far to go..." Zushi replied, all fired up.

An applause was heard and with it came a man wearing a pair of spectacles. His shirt was half tucked in his trousers. He approached the four and praised Zushi, saying that he did well. Zushi addressed him as, "Master".

"You adhered my teachings," the man smiled happily.

"Osu! I'm honored," the boy bowed to him.

"Master, your shirt is untucked again..." he added.

"Oh, sorry about that," he said sheepishly, tucking his shirt in, "Who are they?"

"Oh, these are Killua- san, Gon-san and Mana-san," Zushi introduced the three.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Wing," the man introduced himself, smiling.

Gon and Killua got into the same stature as Zushi and said, "Osu!"

Mana bowed to him and smiled.

"I didn't expect to meet other children. Why are you here?" Wing asked.

Killua answered it by saying that they wanted to get stronger, adding that they were also broke. Gon added that Killua was a veteran here. Wing gave them a piece of advice: they should watch their opponent's body as well as theirs. The three nodded. Wing took a glance at Mana before leaving. Mana blinked a few times.

"Mana, we're going to the receptionist now," Gon called.

"Coming!" Mana called back, rushing up to them.

"Killua-sama, Gon-sama, Zushi-sama and Mana-sama? Please show me your ticket," the receptionist said.

The four handed their tickets simultaneously. The receptionist handed them an envelope each containing their prize money. Gon and Zushi checked theirs while Killua immediately got a canned drink with his.

"152 Jenny..." Gon stared at his money, not even a bit amazed and somewhat confused.

"On the 1st floor, if you win, your reward covers a canned drink," Killua explained, drinking his already.

Mana got one too and started to drink hers while listening to Killua. The boy said that if it's a loss, they get nothing. He added that a win on the 50th floor would get them 50 thousand Jenny and a win on the 100th netted them a million. Gon and Zushi were shocked and amazed. Killua kept on explaining.

"Once you pass the 150th floor, you get 10 million a pop."

"10 million? Didn't you make it to the 200th floor when you were here before?" Gon asked.

"Th-The 200th floor?!" Zushi was amazed.

"How much did you get for winning on the 200th floor?" Gon asked, getting a nod from Mana.

"Oh, but I heard, you quit once you reached there...did you?" she suddenly remembered.

"Yes. But, I won on the 190th floor...I got about 200 million in total..." Killua finished his drinks after saying that.

"200 million?" Zushi stammered.

"Where's the money now?" Gon asked as he froze after hearing that.

"That was 4 years ago. I spent it all on snacks!" Killua replied.

The two was still amazed and surprised, thinking how Killua could finish 200 million on snacks in four years. Mana giggled at them. She knew how much Killua loved snacks as Zebro had told her that once. Killua was one of the most frequent assassins going on missions too, including Illumi. But, she had never seen Killua in person at that time as her Grandpa would force her to hide whenever he had a mission. She still wondered why.

"Let's go to the waiting room. We didn't get any damage on our last fight, so they probably assigned us another match today," the silver haired boy said.

They went to the waiting room as told by Killua. Mana trembled seeing how serious all the candidates were as they were all training. Some were resting but it still frightened her. She took a deep breath and rushed to sit beside Killua.


	13. More about Father

**This one is one of my favourite chapters actually! Seeing how Killua does cared but denying it..**

Part 13: More about Father

Mana stepped onto the center of the battle arena where she stared at her opponent- a tall man, wearing a black tuxedo. He had a quite muscular body and his dark brown hair was gelled so that it would stay in place. She gulped, seeing how the difference of heights could give better opportunity to the taller one. Plus, he looked strong to her but of course, not as strong as Killua. The referee explained the rules, saying that the winning was on point and the maximum point was 10. Mana looked down and sighed, afraid that she would not win.

"You looked quite familiar…" the man said.

"Huh?" she looked up at the man.

"Yes, you are my boss' daughter! He used to show me your picture!" the man exclaimed.

Mana backed away. The referee signed the signal to start and the man took the chance of hitting as she was dazed at what he just said. Mana was barely able to dodge. She got up to her feet and prepared for the next hit.

"Tell me about my father and I'll let you win!" she negotiated.

"No way! I will never reveal my leader to anyone!" the man replied, laughing at her.

"Then…I…w-will not s-spare you…" she mumbled, bringing her hands to her both of her side.

She took a deep breath and wind started to gather around her palms, circling them. The man sweat dropped, knowing that he was in danger. He backed away.

"O-Okay! I'll tell you!" he surrendered.

Mana stopped her attempt of an assault. She glared at the man as he smirked. He started to give out an eerie laugh and by that time, she knew he was bluffing just now. He charged at her before she could react and landed a hard blow on her stomach, sending her out of the ring. He obtained 3 points for it as it was also considered a knockout. Mana got up and immediately jumped back into the ring. She was going to push him out but he was able to tell. So, he came at her nonstop so that she could not do anything.

'_What would Killua do at times like this?' _she thought as she dodged yet another punch from him.

"You're not as strong and daring as boss though! He was able to beat me in one single blow and claimed my gang immediately!" he said as he kept on landing punches at her as she dodged each one.

None of the audience could see what was happening as their speed was not easy to be captured by the eyes. Mana decided to jump as high as she could and she did. The man stared at her as she again brought her hands to her side, gathering the weird obedient wind yet again.

"What are you going to do…?" he said, laughing at her.

"Push you as hard as I could!" she said, falling down, "Into the floor!"

She brought her palms to her front and it landed on top of the man's head, stunning him and pushing him indeed deep into the floor of the ring. Mana win with a knockout as the man fell unconscious. He woke up when the paramedics came in to take him.

"Tell me what you know!" Mana demanded, putting her knife at his throat.

The paramedics backed away, seeing how serious she was. For the first time in her life, she scowled. They just watched what would happen next.

"Y-Your father is a v-very strong man! I h-heard he can use _Nen _b-but I've never got to see him using it! T-They say h-he can c-curse people!" the man spurted out.

"And?" Mana furrowed her brow.

"A-And he has many body guards and h-he never dirties h-his hands with w-weaklings!"

"Where is he now?" the girl asked.

"H-He's p-preparing for Y-Yorkshin Auction! That's all I k-know! Spare me! Please!" the man begged.

"Fine…" Mana sighed.

She put away her knife and walked away out of the arena, thinking that her father would soon know of her surviving the murder and was searching for him. She didn't mind as she wanted him to know, sooner or later. She went back to the 50th floor and made her way to the receptionist to claim her prize money. She saw Killua and Gon talking to Zushi not far from where the elevator stood.

"Ah, Mana!" Gon called to her.

"Hi…" Mana said, forcing a smile.

Gon watched as she walked pass them, heading to the receptionist. Wing made an appearance and started a conversation with the three. Mana took her prize money and decided that she would head to the 70th as permitted by the referee.

"Mana-san!" Zushi called for her, rushing up to her.

"Zushi…what is it?" Mana asked once the boy was in front of her.

"Killua-san and Gon-san want to go to Wing-san's place to learn about _Nen_," Zushi explained.

"Oh…then, I'll come too," the girl said, thinking that it was a good opportunity to know more about _Nen._

They followed Wing to his house. Mana observed the living room once she stepped in. There were two sofas, a table and a TV stood on a type of shelf which was placed on one side of the wall. Another part of it was a cupboard. Mana could also see a whiteboard and she guessed it was used to teach. Wing started to write something on the board as Killua, Gon and Mana observed.

"Nen means to burn your own soul," he started, smiling as if it was something easy to be learn.

Mana widened her eyes, remembering something from the past. She looked down, her sweat trickling down her temples. The two didn't notice her reaction to what Wing was explaining. She tried to remain calm.

"In other words, it tests your strength of will…and the four major principles are part of training curriculum for strengthening your will," he explained further, still smiling, "Ten means to focus your soul to a single point, to increase your awareness of ego and goals. Zetsu means to express yourself in words. Ren means to temper that will and Hatsu means to act upon that will."

Mana stared at Wing, knowing that something was out of place. She somehow vaguely remembered learning _Nen_ when she was little.

"Ten, Zetsu, Ren, Hatsu…those are the four major principles," Gon said.

Wing explained further about Zushi's act and asked to demonstrate to them again. Killua didn't mind and said that it was fine with him. So, Wing focused all his thoughts on killing Killua and the boy could feel the tension in the air. He skipped in a flash and stuck himself on one point of the ceiling with his hands and legs supporting him against the wall. Gon and Mana stared at him. Wing explained that if they wanted to master Nen, they should start with Ten.

"Let's go, Gon," Killua said, acting cool.

He and Gon exited the building and waited for Mana. She stared at Wing who was smiling innocently, blinked a few times and then, rushed out of his house.

"Sorry to keep you waiting…" she to the boys.

"That guy was lying," Killua suddenly spoke.

"He's lying?" Gon was a bit confused and stunned.

"Yeah. The explanation made perfect sense, and wing is clearly very strong. But his story had holes," the silver haired boy explained.

He told Gon about Zushi's toughness, how he kept on getting up after Killua knocked him down. Killua resulted using his full strength for his last attack. Mana suddenly stopped walking.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Gon asked, turning to her.

"Someone's following us…" she said, trembling.

A familiar face appeared behind her and she jumped away to Killua's side. It was the man she faced for her second battle.

"Yo," the man said, raising his right hand.

He smirked at the three as two more men appeared. Mana widened her eyes, scared.

"This is the girl that beat the crap out of you, Marco?" one of them asked.

"Shut up, Ken! I was caught off guard!" Marco replied, irritated.

"W-What do you want?" Mana asked valiantly.

"It's payback time," Marco said, clenching his fist together and smirking at Mana.

"You kids don't stand a chance. Am I right, Joe?" Ken said, turning to the last man.

"Yeah!" Joe answered, sticking his tongue out as if he was hungry.

Killua glanced up at Mana who was trembling beside him. He turned to Gon who looked a bit fired up and irritated. The black haired boy asked Mana about the men and she told him that they were her father's men.

"So, you must be the one who killed Mana's mother!" Gon accused.

"Oi, Gon! You don't have to pick a fight with them!" Killua said to his best friend.

"It's alright…you guys can head back…" Mana spoke up, stepping forward.

Gon and Killua stared as she took out her tonfa, getting into position. The three men laughed at her, mocking her bravery. She gulped a few times.

"You've got guts, girl! Just like him…." Marco said.

"Killua…maybe we should help her," Gon whispered.

"No, she says she wants to handle it on her own…" Killua replied, acting calm as usual.

Mana looked down, thinking of backing away. Even her mother could not kill any of them. Her father's men must be as strong as him. Her shoulders dropped. Losing her will to fight, she said, "I'll give in…what are your demands?"

Killua widened his eyes at her statement. He was shocked to see that his servant gave in. Gon grew worried when he heard Marco said that she would be brought to her father who already knew that she survived. Killua was shaking, anger filled his mind.

"Gon…take her and head back to the arena…" he half growled.

"But…Hey! Killua?" Gon was shocked to see him scowled.

"I don't want her to witness their deaths," Killua growled.

Gon nodded to him. He took Mana's hand and rushed back to the arena before the three men and even Mana herself could react. Killua used his speed and killed them all in an instant by stabbing them ahrd on the stomach. He stared at their bodies. Marco was still breathing and the boy intended to leave him be.

"One thing to remember…_never touch or bother her…ever…again…_" he growled to him.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Marco spurted as he surrendered to Killua.

Killua spit on the ground. Slipping his hands onto his pants' pocket, he headed back to the arena.


	14. Learning Nen

**I think I'm updating too fast...maybe because I'm at home now and had no worries about anything...  
But, I'll be going back to studying on Monday! So, it'll be slow again...**

Part 14: Learning Nen

Mana and Gon waited for Killua at the entrance of the arena. She waited anxiously for him as she could guess what he did to the three men. Once Killua's figure could be seen, she rushed up to him. Killua was a bit stunned when Mana threw herself to him. Gon rushed up to them.

"Don't ever do that, ever again!" she hid her face, holding onto his shirt.

"I did it so that Gon won't worry about you too much…" Killua muttered.

"Whatever the reason is…don't do it ever again! I've told you that once!" she sobbed, gazing into his eyes with her teary ones.

Killua stared blankly at her before he faintly blushed. He gave a small nod and put his hand on her head. She continued to cry and sob. The boy turned to Gon and all he did was smile to him. Gon told him that Mana had been worried ever since he made the attempt to escape with her, leaving Killua behind. She wanted to go back but he held her hand. In the end, she already knew that Killua was going to kill the three before Gon could even say anything to cover it up.

"You knew all along…" Killua mumbled, patting her head as he gazed at her small and frail figure.

Once she had calmed down, Killua told the two his change of plan: to reach the 200th floor. Mana and Gon nodded to him. Then, they started it – an endless fight in order to reach the aimed floor. Mana took her time and went on slower than Killua and Gon as sometimes she lost and was forced to go down 10 floors below. Fortunately, she struggled hard enough for her to catch up with them on the 200th floor. In fact, they were actually waiting for her. They headed for the lobby once she got there.

"W-Wait…" Mana half mumbled.

Gon and Killua gasped when they felt the intense wind. They felt threatened, as if someone was trying to kill them. Killua acted calm and made the two follow him. Gon didn't want to move forward as he was a bit afraid of the murderous intent. Mana backed away, wishing that she was not doing it.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" Killua demanded.

A woman with purple hair and blue eyes, wearing the familiar pink attire made an appearance – the receptionist.

"Killua-sama, Gon-sama and Mana-sama, correct?" she asked.

Gesturing her left hand to the side, she said, "The receptionist's desk is over here, so please register today. You won't be able to register after midnight, so be careful."

"It can't be her…" Mana whispered.

"I can't tell either…" Killua replied to Mana and Gon.

The receptionist explained about the 200th floor before a familiar red haired guy appeared behind her. Gon and Killua sweat dropped when they saw him while Mana backed away, speechless. Hisoka explained that he had keeping track on them for quite some time.

"It's still too early for you boys to step on this floor," he warned, giving out the murderous feeling yet again.

He sat down and kept on releasing the aura.

"I won't let you pass," he calmly said.

"Gon, Killua…back away…" Mana whispered.

Gon kept on stepping forward, struggling hard just as Killua was. Mana backed away, hoping for someone to stop them.

"Don't be too reckless!" a familiar voice said.

Wing appeared behind them. Mana stared at him, glad that he was right on time.

"You have no defense against his Nen," Wing stated.

"Nen?" Gon was confused.

"Right now, you are like someone standing naked in the blizzard, wondering why it is cold. If you continue to strain your body, you may die," Wing explained.

"This is Nen?! He can stop us from moving forward with his willpower?! Don't lie!" Killua demanded answers.

"Yes, I was lying," Wing answered calmly.

"So…it was true…" Mana muttered.

Wing turned to her and nodded. She turned away, ignoring his stern look on her.

"I will teach you the truth about Nen. So, retreat for now," Wing negotiated.

"Hey, receptionist lady? What happens if we don't register today?" Gon asked.

"Umm…Gon-sama and Mana-sama will be back to the 1st floor. However, Killua-sama once refused to register already, so if doesn't register this time, his commitment will be questioned and he will be banned from participating," the receptionist explained.

"Hey, Wing-san…If we back away now, will we be able to return here by midnight?" Killua asked Wing.

"That depends on you," Wing replied.

Gon and Killua decided to follow Wing and Mana would of course, tag along as always. She knew that Hisoka knew about her past from Illumi but the guy simply refrained from telling them.

Once they arrived at Wing's house, Wing started his explanation about Nen, the real one. Mana widened her eyes as she remembered the time she had learned Nen.

* * *

"_Now, Mana…let's start improving your Ten," the mother said to her four-year-old child._

"_Mommy…it's tiring…" Mana complained._

_The woman smiled at her daughter. She went to her and picked her up. Then, she headed to a bench under a tree behind their house. She sat on it and let her daughter sit on her lap. She played with her daughter's long and silky hair._

_"Then, wanna learn something else?" her mother asked.  
_

"_Mommy…why did you learn Nen? It isn't for fighting…is it?" the girl asked._

"_I…want to help people. When I knew that Grandma was a great healer despite the traditions of the ninjas whereby we had to kill people…I wanted to be like her…" the mother replied, resting her chin on Mana's forehead._

_The girl was finding it hard to understand. She didn't know anything about the ninja's traditions or about her Grandma being a healer, whatever that is._

"_Mommy…what's a hee-ler?" the girl asked._

"_It's healer, silly girl. Healers cure people…help them with pain, bruises, or injuries…" the mother explained._

"_I see…then, I want to be a hee-ler too!" the girl said, grinning and showing her teeth that was merging out of the gums._

"_Then, let's train your Nen!" the mother said, beaming._

* * *

Mana snapped when she heard the two boys half screamed with their eyes wide open. She saw Wing directing his Nen into the two to awaken their micropyles. Once they were, they could see their own aura, flowing out of their bodies. Then, Wing told them how to control and calm the aura down so that they wouldn't be too tired out of letting it to rapidly flow out.

"Don't you need to do this too, Mana?" Gon asked the girl.

"If I have to take of my clothes, I'm not letting Wing-san do it!" Mana half screamed, wrapping her arms around her body and blushing furiously.

Wing only smiled, Gon and Zushi blushed while Killua acted like he didn't hear her.

"Then, it'll take you months," Killua said to the girl.

"Actually…" she pondered around, putting her right index finger on her chin as a sign she was trying to make a decision.

Then, she took a deep breath and calmed herself down. She brought her hands up to her chest. Wing noticed the faint aura she let out. Mana stopped and looked down.

"You knew that already?" Gon asked, surprised that she was far stronger than she looked to him.

"Not that I remember any of the lessons I had. Mother used to tell me that it's essential for me to learn Nen…" Mana explained, feeling a little bit guilty that she didn't tell them.

"I'm sorry for not telling...it's because it was really vague- the memories of training to improve my Nen…" the girl apologized.

"Isn't that great? She already knew Nen! Right, Killua?" Gon turned to Killua with a smile.

"Hmph…it's better than having her tag along and depend on us all the time," Killua replied, bringing his hand behind his head.

Mana smiled to them and nodded in agreement with Gon's statement. But, she didn't want to use her Nen to fight at all.

"I…don't prefer to use Nen to fight…" She mumbled but no one heard her.

Wing continued teaching the two. He brought his left hand in front of him.

"Now, I will use hostile Nen against you!" he said as he released a murderous aura.

Gon and Killua sweat dropped. Wing only aimed at them as he knew from the start that Mana had learned Nen once before.

"Previously, it would have been painful for you to stand within this," Wing explained.

"Yeah, I understand your blizzard analogy now," Killua replied, giving a nod.

"If you can fend off my Nen, you'll be able to break through his barrier!" Wing stated.

He unleashed a powerful aura towards the two as they tried to fend it off with their Ten. Mana watched in horror as they did. She had never trained the forceful way before. Her mother was a good teacher and she didn't have the feeling of 'to quickly finish something'. Mana underwent a smooth, slow and steady pace of learning when she learned her Nen.

"I guess they really are determined…" Mana muttered.

"Umm…Mana-san?" Zushi suddenly called

"Yes?" Mana turned to him.

"Why didn't you tell them actually? It can't be that bad of a memory…learning Nen…" he asked the girl.

"Umm…let's just say I need to do that for now…" she replied, winking.

Zushi nodded even though he didn't get what she said. She watched as Killua and Gon blocked Wing's Nen with their Ten and hope that they would succeed before midnight.

"Don't you want to join us, Mana?" Gon suddenly asked, stunning Mana.

"Huh? I might get in your way…" she replied, bringing her hands up, signing that she refused.

"Aww…you're no fun, Mana…" Gon mumbled.

They continued their training for a few more hours. Mana watched them, amazed that they were able to master Ten in no time at all.


	15. Drawing Him Near

**This one is my most favourite too! It is kinda random, but I love it! Still, Killua is the cutest of them all! But, I do have a slight crush on Kurapika. He's mature and cool... **

Part 15: Drawing Him Near

Able to beat pass through Hisoka's Nen using their Tens, the three were welcomed by him. He told them that he knew why they were in Heavens Arena, or rather, why Gon was. Gon didn't really think that he could bump into Hisoka as his plan to repay him was during the time in Yorkshin on September. Hisoka said that if Gon managed to get a single win on the 200th floor, he would fight him. Then, he left.

"Let's go," Killua said.

"Yeah…" Gon replied.

Mana followed the two to the receptionist. They were welcomed with a big smile on her face. She handed the three the forms they had to fill in and asked if they were going to register for a match right then. The three stared at each other, confused.

"In this class, there is a self-service system by which you're permitted 90 days of preparation. You may choose to fight on any day during that time limit. If you entered a match, you will have 90 days to prepare. However, if you don't fight before the time limit ends, you will be disqualified…" the receptionist explained.

"Does that mean we'll be fighting in this class multiple times?" Gon asked.

"Yes, you need ten wins to clear this floor, but if you lose four times before the ten wins, you'll be disqualified. Plus, if you win ten times, you get to challenge the Floor Masters, the strongest 21 fighters here!" she continued.

She kept on explaining about the Floor Masters as if the boys were interested in them. Gon simply questioned the fact that they would be living 1000 meters above the ground as Killua's house was 3700 meters above ground. Mana giggled when she saw the priceless expression from the receptionist. It must have been the first time she got participants who didn't have interest in the Battle Olympia.

"What do you want to do, Gon? Now that I know the floor's secret, I don't care anymore," Killua said to his close friend.

"Yeah! I just want to fight Hisoka!" Gon replied, smiling determinedly.

"But, you need to win a fight first," Mana interrupted.

"Don't you wanna wait first?" Killua asked, a bit worried.

"No…" Gon said, bringing his right fist in front of him, "I'm gonna do this now! I want to know how different the opponents of this floor are."

Killua and Mana smiled to him. The receptionist handed him another form to be filled in. Killua watched as Gon filled in the details. Mana pulled on his hand when she saw three anonymous people behind them- a man with only on arm, a man standing on a pole with a spinning top on his left shoulder and a man on a giant-wheeled wheelchair. They all looked quite scary to her.

"Do you need something?" Killua asked them.

"No, not really," the man with spiky black hair- the one on the wheelchair replied.

"We're simply in line to register for a fight," the one with only an arm and a mask-like face explained.

Mana clung onto Killua tighter, scared as they let out eerie chuckles. Killua sighed, knowing that they wanted to challenge Gon. Gon observed each of them with a blank expression on his face.

"I'm ready to go whenever!" Gon announced with his excitement at maximum height, but he was hiding it.

The three smirked. Mana could sense the slightest Nen out of them and it was telling her that they were aiming to easily get a win by challenging Gon.

"Then, Gon-sama will be in room 2207, Killua-sama in room 2223 and Mana-sama in room 2240…" the receptionist said, handing them their keys.

"T-That's far…" she mumbled, glancing up at Gon and Killua.

They walked away with Mana walking beside Gon. Killua glanced up at the three. Mana suddenly remembered about what Wing had told them- there are people who would do anything to win, even using the traditional Nen greeting, which is by defeating the newcomers with their incredible Nens.

"They must have gone through the greeting that Four Eyes mentioned. If we'd gone in blind, we could have ended up like them," Killua said.

They reached Gon's room. Mana and Gon were amazed at the size of the room. They rushed to see the bathroom and it was indeed squeaky clean. The bed was too big for only one person to sleep on it.

"Look, Killua…Mana…" Gon called, looking outside through the window.

An alarm rang. It was the notification for Gon's match: March 11th, 3 PM.

"What?! Tomorrow?! That's fast." Killua was surprised.

Mana sensed an intense Nen coming out from Gon's body. Killua and herself stared at him.

"I probably won't be able to win tomorrow. But that's okay. I need the experience," Gon stated.

Killua smiled to him.

"I need to know what I can do with this power…" the boy continued.

Mana looked down, sad that she did not have the same determination as Gon. She had learned Nen before and it was a sour memory to her- having to be exhausted every time she released Nen. She was somewhat still too young to master Nen at that time yet she did it to impress her father and mother.

"Good luck, Gon," she smiled to the boy.

Then, she excused herself to go to her room. She lied down in bed after changing into her night dress. It was a thin purple dress which had to be tied on each shoulder – kind of like a lace dress. It was actually a gift from her late grandmother.

"I miss you…" she mumbled, tossing around in bed.

Mana suddenly woke up in the middle of the night. She looked around her spacious room. Seeing that she was alone in a big room, she suddenly felt scared so scared, adding the fact that no one was looking after her. She brought her knees up to her chest, trembling. What if her father comes? What if Marco still lived and he was spying on her? What if her father's men knew about Marco's murder and intended to find her? Those thoughts kept on spinning in her head.

"Killua…" she muttered, thinking of the said boy.

Mana decided to find him and so, she took her pillow. Then, she rushed to his room. The girl knocked on the door with her right hand, hugging her pillow with her left one. Killua opened the door, yawning.

"Oh, it's you…" he muttered, rubbing his left eye, "What do you want?"

"I-I'm scared…c-can I s-sleep with you…" she mumbled.

"Huh?" Killua was a bit surprised at her request.

Mana blushed a bit, embarrassed as well as ashamed of her request. Killua observed her attire and then, at his own: a black singlet and a pair of blue briefs. He sighed.

"They gave us each a room…why must you make such a demand?" he asked, looking down.

"B-Because, I'm s-scared…of f-father's men…" she answered, hugging her pillow tighter.

Killua gazed into her eyes which were clearly showing fear and sadness. Mana said to him that she didn't mind having to sleep on the sofa, as long as he was near her. Killua blinked at her words, stunned and paralyzed. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Fine…" he gave in.

"Really?" Mana brighten up when she saw him nod.

He let her into his room. Killua watched as she happily made herself comfortable on the sofa. She was smiling all the way. Killua sighed, staring at her as she lied down on the sofa. He blinked at her a few times before thinking that she should not be sleeping there.

"Hey…" he called to draw her attention.

"Yes?" she looked up to him.

"Why don't you sleep on the bed…it can fit two people…" he muttered, controlling his tone so that it won't be too awkward.

"Can I really?" Mana asked, making sure that she heard him right.

Killua nodded. He went up to his bed and moved his pillow to the left so that there would be enough room on the right for Mana to squeeze in. He looked at her as if signing for her that she could sleep on the bed too. Mana approached the bed in a hesitant manner, staring at it.

"We can sleep back-to-back…" he suggested.

"C-Can we sleep front-to-front instead? I want to see your sleeping face…" Mana requested yet another awkward request.

"Fine…" he complied.

The two went to bed – Mana lying on it while Killua sat on it, facing his back to her. She stared at him, blinking at times before slowly drifting off to sleep. A few minutes later, Killua glanced up at her and caught her peaceful sleeping face. He lied down, facing his front to hers. Blinking, he stared at her. Her mouth was slightly open and he could hear her soft snore. Her hands were on her chest as if she was praying.

"She looks so peaceful…" he sighed, thinking that it was unnecessary to be sleeping with her.

Then again, he could have turned her away when he had the chance to. Killua sighed again, smiling. He played with her bangs, brushing them away from her nose as they were disturbing her sleep. He touched her forehead with his, feeling her warmth. He soon drifted off to sleep himself.


	16. Confession

**I've been thinking about this chapter for a long time actually and it kept on playing in my mind before I sleep every time...  
Just thought that it was too harem of sort but, I want it to happen...**

**I DON'T OWN THE PART OF THE SONG I USED! IT'S REISHA'S LULLABY FROM AR TONELICO 2!**

Part 16: Confession

Mana woke up when she felt something holding her too tight. She could feel unacceptable warmth and hear heartbeats. The girl's eyes fluttered open as she realized that her head was pressed close to Killua's chest. She glanced up at the boy and he was still sound asleep. She faintly blushed, not knowing how to react. He was holding the back of her head, stilling most of her movements. Should she move? Or should she just stay put? She squirmed a bit to give sign to the boy that she was awake. Killua opened his eyes instantly, realizing what he was doing and pushing away immediately. He sat up in bed, scratching his head hard.

"Sorry about that. You looked cold last night…I just…" he muttered.

"I-It's okay…" the girl sat up, looking down at the quilt and shaking her head, "Thank you…"

Killua sighed. Mana got out of bed, took her pillow and exited Killua's room. Her mind was still clogged with what happened but she tried not to think about it. She hopped happily back to her room to take a bath and get ready to watch Gon's match.

"I hope he won't get a lot of injuries…" she mumbled.

* * *

Mana took her seat beside Killua in the battle arena. It was Gon's battle with Gido, the one who wore a red cloak of sort during their first meeting when the three were registering. Mana stared at Killua as the boy watched Gon's match. She watched too. Gon and Gido approached the referee at the same time.

"Good luck, Gon…" she whispered.

"You know, you shouldn't worry too much if it's Gon. He'll be fine," Killua suddenly spoke, stunning Mana a bit.

"Mm…" Mana replied, biting her lower lip.

The two locked their eyes at Gon. Gon released his Ten right after the referee signed that they could start. Gido laughed at him as he took out a top which soon multiplied. He called the move 'Dancing Tops'. Gido combined the move with 'Battle Waltz' by giving the tops a command to hit anything in their way, resulting into having the referee to stand out of the ring. Mana widened her eyes at the intense aura he was releasing.

"Gon…be careful…" she prayed.

Two tops hit each other, causing one of them to bobbed up and hit Gon hard on his back. Gon was stunned but regained his posture immediately.

"Clean hit!" the referee announced.

"I can use Nen to keep these tops spinning for hours, as my attack. The attack pattern is so complex even I don't know what will come next!" Gido said proudly.

"He really won't win…" Mana stated.

"Of course, he won't. I know Gon all too well…he just wants to enjoy the match," Killua replied to her.

Mana blinked at him. She secretly smiled, glad that Killua was such a caring friend. Another top hit Gon on his back and he half cried in pain and shock. Another one went flying and hit him on his face, knocking him back.

"Clean hit and knockdown! Two points!" the referee announced.

Gido has earned four points and Gon had earned none. Mana and Killua noticed Gon's Ten faded before he was again attacked by another top on his stomach. The pressure caused him to get knocked out of the ring. Gido earned two more points. Mana bit her fingernails as she wondered what would Gon do next. She watched as he jumped into the ring and charged at Gido.

"Heh, you might have figured out my tops, but you still can't lend an attack!" Gido brayed as he started spinning.

It was his special move, 'Tornado Top', making he seemed a bit of invincible if no one sees a weakness that it. Gon was again thrown out of the ring, giving up 3 more points to Gido. Mana grew worried as one more point would consider Gido the winner of the match.

"Gon, what would you do now…?" she wondered.

"Gon!" Killua's voice snapped Mana from her thoughts.

She watched Gon and widened her eyes as his Ten was fading. Mana observed him carefully. She realized he was using Zetsu, the technique to concealing one's presence. She could easily guess that Gon wished for the match to not end yet. The tops charged at him.

"Idiot! If you're hit without a Nen attack, with no protection, you'll be totally messed up!" Killua warned.

"Don't worry, Killua…the tops can hardly sense he was there. He's simply concealing his presence. We can see him, but not sense him…" Mana explained to him.

Gido added more tops into the ring. Mana smiled when she watched Gon evaded most of the attacks, being that the ones he didn't could barely hit him. Killua watched in amazement while Mana watched with gladness. She knew if he got hit by even one of the tops, he'd be badly injured, but she also knew that he was having fun. Suddenly, Gon made one wrong turn. A top was coming his way and he immediately blocked it with his right arm. Gido won the fight and the paramedics rushed up to Gon's side. He was soon taken to his room. Killua and Mana decided to go there.

* * *

"Your right radius and ulna were both broken, fractured humerus, three broken ribs…" Killua named his injuries.

"H-Hey…K-Killua…" Mana looked sympathetically at Gon.

"Twelve other minor fractures. Four months before you're completely healed up…You moron!" Killua continued.

"Sorry." Gon stuck out his tongue.

"An apology won't help! Do you have any brains in there? Didn't you see what happened to those who'd suffered the traditional Nen greeting?" Killua poked a finger on his forehead.

Mana backed away, hearing him shouted. She trembled a bit although she knew he was scolding Gon.

"One wrong move, and you could have ended up like them! You're lucky not to be hurt even more. Man, why do you think Four-Eyes was training us?" Killua scolded him more.

"F-Four-Eyes?" Mana was surprised at how Killua mentioned Wing.

"Still…I had a feeling I'd be okay," Gon said, turning to Mana, "Will you use 'that' on my injuries?"

"Huh?" Mana was confused.

She observed Gon's bandaged parts and wondered if she could. Killua pressed his foot on Gon's broken arm, annoyed by the boy's optimistic attitude. Mana panicked and tried to stop Killua. He stopped when he heard a knock on the door and went to open it. It was Wing. He ignored Mana and Killua and went straight up to Gon. He slapped Gon hard on the face. Mana was a bit shocked and so was Killua. Wing scolded the boy the same as what Killua did. He was exceptionally glad that Gon wasn't severely injured.

"Killua-kun, do you know when Gon-kun will have recovered completely?" he asked.

"Two months," Killua lied, winking at Mana as a sign she should keep quiet.

Wing gave Gon a condition to not enter a match for two months and he can't practice or learn Nen. Gon promised he won't and Wing tied a string on Gon's pinky finger- so that Gon will be reminded of his promise by looking at it. Then, he requested a word with Killua alone. The two went out.

"Well, now you can't help me…"Gon half giggled.

"I'm sorry…" Mana confessed, looking down.

Gon blinked at her, confused of what she was apologizing for. Mana was clutching her hands together, as if feeling nervous about something.

"I wished not to use 'that' for now…father might be able to track me down easily…" the girl explained.

"I see…" Gon sighed, looking to his front.

Mana put her hands together and brought it to her chess. She hummed a tune her mother used to hum to her. Gon listened and sighed. It was a very soothing tune.

* * *

"_Utau ibuki wa yomosugara_

_Ano hito ni todoke ya_

_Itsu no hika?"_

"_Mommy…your voice is wonderful!" three-year-old Mana exclaimed._

_Rilliane smiled as she rubbed her daughter's head. Mana grinned at her mother, showing her white teeth. She sat comfortably on her mother's lap, waiting to hear the song again._

"_Mana…if I'm apart…just sing this song… You'll know, I'm always there…"_

"_Mommy? What do you mean?" Mana was confused._

"_Just remember the song, dear…" Rilliane ignored her question._

* * *

"…you…" Mana snapped from her reminiscence upon hearing Gon's voice.

"Did you say something?" she asked him.

"Huh…oh! What I was saying is…" Gon gulped, gazing his eyes into hers, "Mana, do you like Killua?"

"H-Huh? Of course…he's a friend. I like you too," Mana replied absentmindedly.

"I mean…never mind…" Gon refrained from telling her.

"You're lucky. He cares so much about you, makes me envy you a lot," the girl forced a smile.

"Mana…" Gon grabbed her right hand with his left hand, making Mana panicked a bit.

"I like you!" he half shouted.

"Huh?" the girl was surprised.

"I now I might be reckless…but, I promise! I will try my best to look after you! I promise!" Gon confessed with an amount of determination.

Mana widened her eyes at his confession. She could feel blood rushed to her cheeks just as Gon blushed. The boy looked down, fuming up as he was too embarrassed. Mana looked away, not knowing what to do.

"F-Forget what I said!" Gon broke the awkward silence, rubbing his temple.

"R-Right…" Mana replied, her eyes locked onto the floor.

"Umm…you can train your mind for Nen. It doesn't require you to actually release your Nen…" Mana said, forcing a smile, "Good luck!"

Then, she rushed out of the room, ignoring Gon's reply. Mana trembled a bit as she thought of what Gon had said. When she was about to leave, she bumped into Killua. Mana toppled but Killua held her hand before she met the gorund. She held onto his arms for awhile, not showing her face to him. The silver haired noticed that she was not her usual self and wondered what happened.

"What's…" he wasn't able to finish his question as Mana spoke.

"I h-have to go…" she stammered, holding her forehead with her right hand.

Killua blinked confusedly as he watched the girl rushed in the direction where her room was.

"I wonder what happened…" he mumbled as he grabbed Gon's doorknob.

**Feel free to comment about this chapter...I like it because Killua hasn't found out yet. And, yes, it is a bit of harem of sort right now...**


	17. Threatened

**Finally! I ended my literature test a few days ago. Something funny happened there, oh, never mind about that!  
Thanks all for reviewing up until now! I realized I never did thank you guys...sorry...**

Part 17: Threatened

Mana lied in bed and stared at the ceiling. It had been a month since Gon's match with Gido and also, since his confession to her. She never did reply. After that confession, Mana refused to even meet up with Killua. All she did was locked herself in her room, thinking hard of how to reply to Gon's confession.

"Argh! I can't just stay in the…" she didn't finish her complaints as she heard someone playing at her door, trying to pry it open.

She listened carefully, catching approximately three people whispering. She stood still and hid her presence with Zetsu. Mana tiptoed to the door and listened to their conversation.

"Are you sure this is her room? Boss will be angry if we get the wrong room," one of them said.

"Yeah…we did ask the receptionist, right? It must be it," another one answered.

"Wait! I can't sense anyone in there! Did she left?" the last one said.

"We'll see once we get in," the one who was trying to pry open the door said.

Mana was aware that they would be able to barge into her room in no time. She had to think quickly of what to do. She observed her surroundings and doubted that she could hide from them. They would eventually find her if they searched all over the place. She sighed and thought that the only way was to fight them as they would look for her all over the place. She backed away from the door and got her shurikens ready between her fingers. When the door flew open, she threw the shurikens nonstop at them. They blocked it with their hands. Mana took the opportunity to flee. She knew that they would chase after her, so she had to act quickly.

"I have to find either one of them…" she mumbled, thinking of Killua, Wing, Zushi and Gon.

Mana exited the arena and rushed to a café. She noticed two familiar figures eating and talking. She glanced up behind her and saw the three men gaining up on her. Mana dashed towards the café and the two noticed her. She caught hold of their table and tried to catch her breath. Killua noticed the three men and frowned.

"You got into trouble again?" he asked the girl.

"G-Give me t-time to catch m-my breath…" she panted.

"She must've been caught off guard," Gon guessed.

"Yeah…t-they b-broke into m-my room…" she replied, taking a deep breath.

Mana got up straight and watched as Killua and Gon got up form their chairs and glared at the three. The kids didn't recognized any of the men and Killua quickly assumed that Marco was dead too. Mana stood between them.

"I can handle them," she said to the boys, earning awkward stares from them.

"Are you sure, Mana?" Gon asked, worried as Mana hated fighting.

"Let me demonstrate one of my Hatsu. I can fight…now, I just hate killing," the girl smiled broadly.

"Heh, she thinks she can beat us," the man in the middle said, smirking evilly.

Mana brought her left hand to the side and as usual, wind started to gather. Killua and Gon watched as she turned the wind into a whip. Mana started to hit the three men with the whip. They jumped away on time with her hitting. She knew she would miss as she could sense they were wearing their Ten, so she threw some shurikens. The man didn't have to dodge them as they weren't aim accurately.

"You missed!" the man on the right who had spiky red hair and yellow eyes said, laughing at her.

"Don't laugh just yet…I did miss my targets on purpose," Mana said, giggling.

The three men froze when they felt the cold air on the skins. Apparently, Mana's shurikens had cut their clothes instead. Some women around them screamed and some shouted angrily at them, throwing anything they could find at the three almost naked men. Killua and Gon laughed. They retreated and vowed to avenge their humiliation. Mana's whip dissipated. She turned to the two boys who were still laughing.

"The whip is one of my Hatsu…I can do more…" she explained, smiling sheepishly.

"I see. I guess you are something…" Killua smiled to her.

"T-Thanks…" Mana replied, looking down.

She was quite embarrassed as that was the first time Killua wore a smile for her and not for Gon. Mana glanced up at Gon and faintly blushed. Gon stopped laughing and looked away from her, remembering what he had said to her. Killua turned to him and then, to her simultaneously. Then, he locked eyes with Gon before saying that they should be heading back to the arena. Mana told them that she wanted to stay and look around. The two nodded to her and made their way back. Mana strolled around the town, looking at the merchandise that the shops displayed.

"Those men…they must have been sent by father…I wonder why…" she muttered.

She kept on staring at the sky and didn't realize someone was in her way.

_Thump!_

Mana as well as the one who bumped into her fell onto the ground.

"S-Sorry!" Mana apologized, getting up and quickly holding out her hand for the boy in front of her.

"It's okay…" the boy replied, getting up on his own.

He ignored Mana as he brushed off the dust on his clothes. Mana observed him – a tall scarlet haired with brown eyes. He was wearing a white shirt and a pair of black shorts. In each arms, he wore a bangle. The boy noticed she was staring at him and immediately snapped.

"What are looking at?!" he shouted at her.

"Oh! I'm sorry for staring!" Mana immediately apologized, bowing.

"Hmph!" he huffed, turning his glare away from her.

Suddenly, he held her hand when she was about to go. Mana panicked but remained calm. The boy brought his face closer to her, observing her eyes – was what she thought. He suddenly stepped back and pointed an accusing finger at her. Mana blinked curiously at him.

"You're the girl!" he exclaimed.

"W-What girl?" she asked.

"My Mom told me to find you!" he replied, standing up straight.

"Your…Mom?" Mana was in doubt whether to believe him or not.

Her right brow was slanted as a sign that she thought he was insane. The boy coughed and grinned stupidly to her. Mana found it hard to believe him even more.

"Alliane…Alliane Valenx. That's my Mom's name," the boy explained.

"Aunt Alliane!" Mana exclaimed, shocked.

"Yes! My name is Rock Valenx, son of Alliane and Fixard Valenx," the boy said, holding out his hand to her.

The two shook hands and Mana was delighted to find out that she had a cousin. But, she was also sad that her Aunt didn't use their family's name as well. She just assumed that Alliane didn't want to remember her past as well. Rock requested that Mana followed him but she refused, saying that she had friends waiting for her back at the arena.

"How about you tell them first and then, we'll meet up," Rock suggested.

"That'll be a good idea! I'll inform them first about you!" Mana beamed.

The boy nodded and bid his goodbye. Mana watched as he walked out of her sight. She started walking again, eyeing the merchandise on display in each shop. When she reached a boutique, she caught sight of a dress – sleeveless and had a denim jacket to go with it. She looked at the price and sighed – too expensive for her to obtain it. Mana's eyes widened when she saw a reflection of a man dressed in a tuxedo, smirking down at her. Trembling, she turned around and backed away. She closed her eyes when the man reached out his hands for her.

"N-No…" she muttered.

The man stopped and brought his hands away from her. He frowned when he saw her looking away from his face. Mana stepped back when the man stepped forward. She trembled even more as no one was with her at that time.

"W-What do you want?" she asked him.

"Nothing in particular…" the man replied, chuckling.

Mana looked up at the man. He was smirking again. The man was very muscular - she could see the blood veins of his body even though he was wearing a tuxedo. She gulped.

"Don't worry. I knew you're in the arena…" he started, playing with the tip of her hair.

She froze and closed her eyes again as her back met the glass behind her. The man flicked his tongue and then, smelled her hair.

"I'll answer any question you want to ask…" he continued, looking at her, "…if you win a match against three of my men who are participating in the arena…"

"F-Father…" she muttered, looking up at him.

"If you lose…" her father pulled her into his arms, "…you'll be my slave…"

He held her tight, so tight that he might crush her in minutes. She squirmed as she tried to struggle out of his hold. He pushed her away and laughed - an evil laugh. He glanced up at her from head to toe. Mana trembled.

"Well, they will each go see you once I tell them too," her father said.

"W-What if I refuse?" Mana tried to control her stammering tone.

"Then, I just have to 'kidnap' you," he replied, facing his back to her.

Mana's eyes widened at his statement. The man turned around. He stared at her with his squinted dark blue eyes. Mana stared back, refusing to give in. He suddenly smirked and rubbed her head. Mana pushed his hand away, looking down. She wrapped her right fingers onto the message bottle that her aunt gave her incase her father was after it. The father could barely notice what she was trying to hide from him, so he ignored it. He inched his face closer to his daughter.

"If you want to stay free, you will do as I say. I expect to make you my slave and torture you to death," he whispered into her ears.

Then, he vanished out of her sight. Mana was left there, frozen to death. She didn't know what to do. She went back to her room on the 200th floor. She sat on bed and thought of what of her father said. She looked around the room. Finding herself unable to be alone in the wide room, she went to Killua's room.

Killua stopped a few steps from his room's door as he saw a familiar girl sitting there, her knees close to her chest and her face buried in them. Her pillow was on her right side.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, looking down at her.

"Killua…" Mana spoke, looking up at him.

"Yeah?" Killua blinked at her.

"C-Can I s-stay with you for t-tonight?" she asked with her hands at her chest.

"Again? What would people think?" Killua sighed.

"P-Please?" Mana stammered.

Killua stared into her eyes and knew that she was troubled. He sighed again before giving a nod. Mana forced a smile and threw herself into his arms. Killua panicked when she started to cry. He could feel her trebling and shaking, as if she was really frightened by something. He took her pillow for her and opened the door. Mana staggered into the room.

**I've revealed Mana's father, but I won't tell his name just yet as this will not end soon! I'm ending this story with him dead,,,,,,,,,maybe...that is...**


	18. First Challenge

**Soooooooooooooooooooooooo...here's chpter 18! Can't believe I got this far! Maybe I'm jut to enthusiastic!**

Part 18: First Challenge

Mana stared into space, ignoring Wing who was explaining about the Nen thread he tied to Gon. Zushi and Killua were listening too. The silver haired boy sometimes glanced up at her. She was sitting beside him after all.

"Wing-san, may I use your kitchen?" she suddenly asked.

"H-Huh?" Wing was a bit surprised at her request.

"Umm…c-can I cook all of you lunch?" she asked, turning to look at the boys.

"You can cook, Mana-san? Whoa! I'd love to taste that," Zushi exclaimed.

Mana beamed as if she was not having any problem at all. Wing stared at Zushi and then, at Mana. He sighed and nodded to her. Mana stood up and rushed to the kitchen without a minute to spare.

"I wonder what's wrong with her…" Killua mumbled.

Then, Wing talked about Hisoka's technique, a high-application of Zetsu, In and the usage of Gyo which make the In able to be seen, an application of Ren. Wing stated that Zushi was strong enough to apply it.

Meanwhile…

Mana was busy making chicken porridge. She started with boiling the chicken and she shredded it. She smiled to herself as she started to dice the carrots. For some reason, when she cooked, she forgot about all her troubles. After that, she rushed the fridge to get some long beans. Once all he chosen vegetables had been cut, she threw it in a pot of water and started to boil it. She stirred and stirred.

"I hope they'll love it," she muttered as she put the shredded chicken in the pot too.

Once the porridge was done, she served it in the living room. She even brought out a pot of cooked rice to go with it.

"Sorry to keep you all waiting," she apologized.

The four males sat down on the couch and stared at the porridge. Wing turned to Mana and the girl just beamed. Zushi was delighted that he could taste her food for once as Gon and Killua half drooled. Killua observed Mana's expression closely with his eyes.

"Care to join in, Mana?" Gon asked her.

"No, I'm not hungry. I'm gonna go back first…" she replied.

"Are you sure?" Killua asked, a bit concerned.

"Y-Yes…" she stammered and then, rushed out of the house.

"What's wrong with her today…" the silver haired muttered.

Mana quickly walked back to the arena. When she arrived at her room, there was note on the mat in front of the door. She took it and gripped it tightly in her hand. She looked around before rushing into her room.

'3.00 p.m., June 2nd – Misato' was what the note read. Only Mana knew what it meant. She got out of the room and went to the receptionist desk.

"I wish to register for a match," she said to the receptionist.

The woman simply handed her a form to be filled. Mana's hand shook as she wrote every detail that the form asked. She thought she could forget about her father, that she could act as if everything was a dream, but no, her father was serious and the note was the proof. Mana dragged herself back to her room.

"He's really going to make me his slave…" she muttered in a low voice.

It was 6 p.m. when Mana lied in bed, already wearing her red nightdress. She sighed as she thought of her mother.

"Why must I suffer like this? If I had known, I would have chosen to die with Mommy…" she sighed.

She didn't know who to turn to or what to do. Usually, she would talk to Kurapika but he was away and she didn't know how to contact him as she had no phone. Mana got out of bed and walked to Gon's room, assuming that they were there.

"H-Hello…" she peeped through the door.

"Ah, Mana-san!" Zushi noticed her.

Gon and Killua turned to the door and noticed the girl's frail figure.

"Come on in, Mana. We are training our Ren," Gon explained, beaming at her.

Mana stepped inside and the three blushed at what she was wearing. Zushi was the most obvious one as it was his first time seeing a girl in a nightdress. Killua sighed at her absentmindedness. Gon looked away immediately.

"Can't you wear something more proper?" the silver haired implied.

Mana looked down, clutching her hands together nervously. Gon saw how troubled she was. He ignored the fact that she was wearing something daring.

"Mana, go on and sit on the bed. Make yourself comfortable," he said.

"Hmm…" the girl replied and walked straight to the bed.

The three continued their training as Mana watched. She knew they were sometime distracted by her observation, but they ignored her. She quickly dozed off as no one cared about her presence.

"Visualize the energy building in your body…" Killua muttered, drawing Mana's attention.

She blinked a few times and listened again.

"Power gathers in each cells, and grows… Then, force that power out!" he exclaimed and released his Nen.

"I'm getting used to it," Gon said confidently.

Mana suddenly smiled. Killua explained to Gon that it was only a bit tricky. Zushi panicked at his words as he was physically and mentally exhausted already. The two wanted to continue but Zushi stopped them.

"We'll continue tomorrow," Gon decided.

Killua nodded. He turned to Mana who was still staring at them. She looked up at him when she sensed that he was staring at her.

"Do you want to sleep with me again tonight?" he asked bluntly.

"W-Wha?! You slept with her?!" Gon exclaimed in disbelief.

Killua sighed as he explained to him the reasons why he was dragged to sleep with her most of the nights he was at the arena. Although Gon quite understood, he still protested the fact that Killua slept with Mana. Zushi blushed furiously as he pictured the scene of Mana and Killua sleeping together.

"G-Guys…" she started, getting their attentions, "I'll see to that I won't bother Killua…"

"I didn't mean it that way, Mana. I mean, I understand that you were scared…" Gon said, feeling a sense of guilt emerging in his heart.

"I-It's okay. I know why…" the girl shook her head.

Gon looked down. Killua was confused at why Gon was really angry when he slept with her and why Mana said she understood what Gon met. He ignored the fact and announced that he was going back to his room. Zushi said that he wanted to go back too. They bid goodbye to Gon and Mana and then, parted ways. Gon turned to Mana but the girl was avoiding eye contact with him. He went to the right side of the bed.

"You slept with him most of the nights?" he asked.

"Y-Yes…" Mana heard herself replied.

"Why didn't you come to me? I promised you, remember?" Gon controlled his tone.

"I'm sorry…" the girl drawled, trembling.

She was scared that Gon might burst but there was no real reason for him to do so. She didn't even reply his confession yet. Gon gazed at her, wishing that he could hug her just like how Killua was able to do. When he was about to say something, his phone rang. Mana took that as a sign she should go. When she opened the door, she saw a blue shoe, similar to the ones Zushi wore.

"Mana, go back to your room and don't get involve," Gon said sternly.

Mana bit her lower lip as she stepped back and rushed to her room as told by Gon. But, she only went there to get her pillow. She headed straight to Killua's room after that, although she did feel guilty to Gon. She made herself feel better by remarking that she didn't toy with his feelings. When she got to Killua's room, the boy was sitting at the door with his right leg bended up and his right hand was resting on it.

"There you are," he stood up and brushed off the dust on his clothes.

"You were waiting for me?" she asked, confusions clogged her mind.

"I was expecting you at the very least…" he muttered, sighing.

Mana could sense that he was controlling his murderous aura. She gulped at him and stepped back. Killua blinked confusedly at her, as if not knowing that she could sense his aura all too well.

"You…" she pointed her right index finger at him.

"Don't worry. That's why I was expecting you…" he half whispered.

Mana gulped as he stepped closer to her. She backed away each time until her back met the wall behind her. Killua rested his head on her right shoulder, ignoring her tremble.

"I need you to calm me down," he whispered into her ears.

Mana dropped her pillow and pushed him away. Her eyes welled up with tears. She was beyond scared and was shaking tremendously. Killua looked at her with caring eyes. He held her shoulders and hugged her.

"I'm sorry…" he muttered.

Mana rested her head on his chest, sobbing and hiccupping so hard that it was impossible to calm her.

"I know you had troubles too…and I'm sorry for pushing my troubles to you…" he explained, rubbing her shoulders comfortingly.

"I-I h-have a m-match…this 2nd of J-June…" she confessed.

"With whom?" he asked, gesturing her into his room.

Mana walked slowly into his room, dragging her pillow along. Killua closed the door behind him and gazed at the girl on his bed. She was still shaking. He waited for her to continue her story, but she didn't.

"Are you going to sleep?" he asked instead and got a nod from her.

He helped her tucked her pillow at her usual spot on the bed and laid her. She was still shaking but the boy ignored it and caressed her head. He watched as she soon drifted off to sleep. After a few minutes deeming that she was in deep sleep, he exited his room and headed to the receptionist desk. He asked about her match and the woman explained to him about it.

"It's with…let me see…" the receptionist mumbled as she scrolled down the list of matches for the next month in her computer.

"Ah, here it is! Misato vs Mana, 2nd June, 3.00 p.m."

"Thank you…" Killua said and walked back to his room.

He entered his bedroom, relieved that she was still fast asleep. He chuckled, thinking of what a baby she was. Killua didn't sleep at all until morning came as he was practicing his Ren. One time, he heard her mumbled in her sleep as her hands searched for something to hug. He put his pillow around her arms and she calmed down, going back to sleep. He knew he couldn't leave her alone as he needed her as much as she needed him – to calm each other down. He didn't know why but, looking at her face made him not wanting to unleash his murderous aura – just like how Gon made him feel.

**I think Killua is a bit OOC...I just went with the flow when writing this part...it just sounded better that way...**


	19. First Win

**Here's part 19...I managed I guess, after long weeks of hard work to finish my assignment.**

Part 19: First Win

Mana opened her eyes when she heard rustling noise. She sat up to see Killua, all ready to head out. She rubbed her eyes and yawned. Killua heard her, stopping for a brief seconds before glancing up at her.

"Good morning," he said to her.

"M-Morning…" she mumbled a reply.

The boy went up to her with his hands in his pockets and noticed that her eyes were swollen due to last night. Realizing his face was so close to hers, she flushed. Killua backed away when he saw her reddened face. He went up to the couch.

With his back to her, he said, "Go take a bath…"

"But, I don't have any clothes to wear…" she stated, getting out of the bed.

"I'll escort you back to your room," he heard himself said though he was in denial of doing so.

Mana blinked at him confusedly before nodding. They started their walk to Mana's room. Mana saw his change of clothes. He was wearing a black hood with brown pants. He was holding a blue cap but she didn't know when he was going to wear that. Sometimes, Killua would glanced up at her and as he did, she would hug her pillow tighter as she felt a bit awkward. When they reached her room, Killua put on the cap.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"To Wing's, where else?" he replied with his back facing her.

Mana bit her lip as she thought of asking him to wait for her. She hugged her pillow tighter, staring down at the floor. The boy glanced up at her again and read her expression. He sighed.

"I'll go get us a quick breakfast and then, come back to wait for you…" he said.

"T-Thank you...and s-sorry…" she muttered.

"Why are you apologizing…?"

Killua scoffed as he started walking away. Mana went into her room to take a bath. Then, she put on a new set of clothes: a long blue frilly dress with detached sleeves, a pair of white socks and blue sandals. She stared at herself in the mirror, combing her hair. Soon, she heard a knock on her door.

"Are you done?" Killua asked.

Before she could answer, he interrupted, "Here, three pieces of sandwich. Are these enough?" handing her the sandwiches.

"Y-Yes…thanks. I'll pay for them," she replied, taking the sandwiches happily.

"No need…" he mumbled.

Mana looked down as she slowly nodded. She settled herself on the couch while Killua sank himself into it, sighing in the process. He waited for her to be done with her quick breakfast. He watched as she chewed her first sandwich. Once she was finished with the first one, she handed the second one to Killua as she bit the last one. Killua blinked confusedly at her.

"I couldn't finish it…" she explained.

"Fine…" Killua gave in.

Taking the sandwich, he gobbled it up instantly. They started their stroll to Wing's house once she was ready. Killua kept his head down all the way as if he was in deep thoughts. Mana tried to ignore that fact though her mind kept on bugging her about it. On the way, they heard a seller, selling tickets.

"Come on down! We have tickets!" he shouted, drawing people's attention.

Killua ignored him and went passed him. Mana followed.

"These are fresh off the press…Gon versus Sadaso!"

Killua halted and Mana bumped into him. She stared at him.

"And here's Killua versus Sadaso…"

Killua went up to the man, asking about Sadaso. When he listened to the description of the said man and knew he recognized him, he scowled immediately. Mana was scared as she could sense his murderous aura again. Once they reached Wing-san's house, she immediately announced that she would be in the kitchen, making lunch again.

"Gon, you're here?" Killua asked.

"Y-Yeah," Gon stammered a reply.

"Killua-kun, I believe you're the one who saved Zushi last night? Thank you." Wing expressed his gratitude.

Killua nodded and asked Zushi his condition. The boy replied that he was fine. Then, the silver haired boy requested to watch the video again as he announced that he had learned Gyo. Zushi was shocked and nervous while Gon and Wing looked satisfied. Mana peeped from the kitchen. She was relieved that Killua could control his aura.

* * *

Mana's day of her tournament with Misato came and she could feel her stomach churned out of nervousness. She was scared that she couldn't win, but her own life was on the line. Killua and Gon didn't purchase tickets to watch her. Besides, she didn't want to bother their training. Mana took a deep breath as she stepped into the ring.

"Hello, little girl…" Misato said.

Mana was quite surprised as Misato is a female with long black hair tied to her back. She was wearing a tuxedo as that was their trademarks after all. Her body is an idle body of woman which balanced in every way.

"I can't believe Boss make me fight you. You're such a cute little girl," the woman who was in her twenties cooed.

"Begin!" the referee signed.

Mana backed away a distance and threw her shurikens. Misato blocked each and every one of them with her Ten. The girl couldn't guess what was playing on the woman's mind. She smirked as she crouched a bit and charged at her. Mana jumped away on time and took out her tonfa. She blocked each punch and kick with them.

"Aren't you getting tired?" Misato asked in a somewhat concerned tone.

She aimed another kick and Mana blocked it, sending her backward.

"If you lose, what will happen to you?" she asked.

"I have to quit working for your father," she replied, rushing up to her again.

Mana jumped up and twirled around in midair. The wind around her turned visibly green and Misato could sense that it was one of her Hatsu. The woman wore her Ten even thicker, waiting for what was coming at her. When the girl landed on the ring, the wind that she created engulfed Misato, twirling around her but not spinning as her Ten protected her. Mana charged at her and landed two clean hits. She scored 4 points.

"Good one…" the woman said when the wind faded.

Mana backed away, releasing her Ten and wearing her Gyo just in case. She could see a thread wriggling up to her. The girl jumped away from it before it could tie her up.

"You see through it? What a great girl you are!" the woman exclaimed, amazed.

Mana extended her hands on either side of her and concentrated her Nen there. Her Nen wind started to gather and Misato waited for what would happen.

"What's that going to do?" she mocked her, laughing.

Mana brought her hands to the front and aimed to push Misato but the woman acted quickly. She swiftly spun and landed a hard blow on Mana's back. Mana breathed hard and choked a bit. Misato took out a whip. The girl stood up and created her own whip.

"I have to do this, sorry," the woman said as she started hitting Mana on her vital spots.

Mana screamed in pain as each hit landed where they shouldn't and each gave Misato a point or two. When she obtained 6 points, she stopped. Mana used her Gyo and noticed that her legs were tied to her threads: the reason she could not dodge when hit by the whip. To her surprise, when she tried to cut them off, they snapped. Then, she stood up and created a whirlpool, unleashing it towards Misato in an instant. The woman didn't have enough time to react and she was quickly engulfed in it and sent out of the ring. She couldn't do anything about it as she heard the referee counted to 10. Suddenly, the whirlpool broke and Misato was back in the ring. A whirlpool that lasted that long had taken most of Mana's energy. She staggered to keep her posture straight. Seeing how weak she was, Misato smirked.

"I…w-will not lose…" she muttered under her ragged breathing.

"What will you do now?" Misato wondered out loud.

Mana enhanced her Nen to increase her speed. She rushed up to Misato but the woman distance herself from Mana just in time before the girl could land a punch. Mana disappeared and popped behind Misato, kicking her in the process.

"Clear hit and knockdown! 3 points!" the referee announced.

Mana was satisfied as 3 more points and she would win. Misato got up. The girl could sense that she as in rage. Even her eyes showed that. Mana quickly used her whirlpool again, this time, four times stronger than the previous one. Misato tried to block it. She was too distracted to even realize that Mana was about to punch her stomach. The punch sent her out of the ring. It took her a few seconds to get back up on her feet. Unfortunately for her, when she was standing up straight, the referee had already counted up to 10. Mana finally won the match. She staggered out of the battle arena. Killua and Gon were waiting for her outside.

"H-Hi…" she was able to say before collapsing.

Gon caught her on time before her face met the floor. The two stared at each other. Killua observed her wounds and so did Gon. Most of them were on her stomach, her back and her thighs. They decided to take her to Gon's room.

"I think we should ask the paramedics to look at her…" Killua suggested as he watched Gon settling her on his bed.

"I guess…" Gon agreed, staring at the girl whom he held dear.

"I wonder why she won't tell us…" he suddenly said.

"It's just the way she is...and besides, it was one of my conditions. She must learn to protect herself. I can see that she's learning," Killua explained, staring at Mana.

The girl opened her eyes slowly. Gon reacted first by standing up and asking her how she was feeling.

"Where am I?" she asked.

"In my room. We brought you here since we couldn't find the key to your room," Gon explained.

Mana rubbed her forehead. Killua was going to call the paramedics but she stopped him.

"Please, I can handle myself," she reassured him.

Killua blinked at her a few times before sitting at the edge of the bed. Mana took a deep breath, bringing her hands to her chest. Killua and Gon could sense a very soothing and relaxing aura. Not just an ordinary one, but a Nen aura. The two widened their eyes when they saw Mana's Nen was in green color and it was circling her, touching each of her wounds. Her wounds were soon healed and her skin was as good as new with no noticeable scars at all.

"That was amazing, Mana!" Gon exclaimed.

"T-Thank you…" she smiled weakly.

There was an awkward silent for a brief seconds.

"Will you tell us what's on your mind?" Gon requested.

Mana's smile curved downwards. She stared at her hands which were rested on her lap. The boys looked at each other, waiting for her reply. Instead, she tried to get out of bed. She could barely balance herself as her exhaustion out of releasing too much aura had not died down yet.

"Where are you going? Isn't it best if you stay? I can take care of you," the blacked haired boy asked.

He brought his arms around her but not too close, only for a precaution that she might fall. Mana forced a smile again, shaking her head. Killua observed her state and knew that she was far too weak to be walking.

"I think you should stay for the night. At the very least, Gon can watch over you," he suggested.

"B-But then, I w-would be interrupting h-his training," Mana stammered.

"No, you won't," Gon insisted.

"I'll be fine. I j-just need a bit of r-rest…" she tried to control her tone so that it won't sound like she was really weak.

She dragged herself out of the room. Killua and Gon stared at each other.

"What should we do…?" Gon muttered.

"Ignore her. She said she'll be fine and I choose to believe her this time. Focus on your match the next day after tomorrow…" Killua advised his best friend.

"Still…" Gon mumbled, growing worried.

* * *

Mana slept for two days and regained her energy. She was even much hungrier than usual. So, Gon decided to treat her for brunch before his tournament with Gido. They went to the café that Gon and Killua used to eat. Mana ordered a steak, a plate of chicken chop and a big bowl of salad which was quite weird and improper for a girl to do so.

"Thanks, Gon. But, where's Killua?" she asked.

"He's at Wing-san's house…" Gon replied.

She felt awkward being alone with the one who has feelings towards her. She stared at the food she ordered, curving her lips up and down as she was thinking of what to say.

She sighed and turned to Gon. "Umm…good luck for your match."

"You're not gonna watch?" Gon asked, disappointment in his tone.

"I'll be watching from the tv…I wasn't able to get the ticket to watch you, sorry…" Mana apologized.

"That's okay…" the boy replied, sighing.


	20. Two Fights in a Row

**Mana's perspective as always...  
****I've been busy and will be even busier. Next two weeks is my final exam.  
****Wish me luck...! ^-^**

Part 20: Two Fights in a Row

Mana rushed to Gon's side after watching his fight with Gido. The boy had injured his right hand. She intended to heal it for him. Killua was with him at the lounge, waiting for his fight with Riehlvelt. Mana rushed up to them.

"Mana," Gon called for her with a smile.

"Let me see the wound," she insisted, taking his right hand into both of hers before Gon could react.

Killua was going to start soon and she had to hurry up as Gon would be watching inside the arena. She released her Nen and the two of them could feel a soothing vibe. Green breeze engulfed Gon's wound and when they were gone, the wound was too.

"Good luck, Killua," she turned to him.

"Hmm, I'll be sure to win," Killua replied.

The two turned to Mana, waiting to hear what she as going to say.

"To be honest…I have a match in two day's time," she confessed.

"Another one of your father's men?" Gon asked.

Mana nodded. Before they could say anything, she rushed back to where she was going to watch Killua. Gon and the said boy went back into the arena. Mana watched Killua's match carefully as she was determined to understand him. Truth be told, he was too fast for her even though she's a ninja. She could barely catch his speed. She was amazed when Killua grabbed the whips or as Riehlvelt called them, snakes although they were moving way too fast. Both of the 'snakes' plunged their teeth into Killua's arms. His opponent unleashed an electrocution.

"Killua…" the girl muttered.

The boy sent the man flying out of his wheelchair. Then, he caught him in his arms, resulting into Riehlvelt being electrocuted too. He was knocked unconscious and Killua won the fight. Mana quickly went to find the two boys. She saw them talking in the hallway on the 200th floor.

"Here she comes," Killua sighed.

"Congratulations!" she said to the two with a big grin.

"So, next is your fight, right?" Gon asked.

"Y-Yes…" she replied.

"When will you tell us why you want to win so much? This isn't like you at all…" the silver haired asked her, a bit upset.

"I'm sorry…if I win two more fights with his men, I'll tell you…" she replied, clutching her hands together.

Then, she ran away, escaping their questions as well as ignoring Gon's calls. She started her way to her room. Mana closed the door behind her after arriving. She saw a new note by the phone and gulped as she could guess who it was from. She went up to the phone to get it.

'June 7th – Gerald.' The note said and she gasped. She would not even have 24 hours to rest after her second match.

What was she going to do? She sat on bed and wondered alone. All she knew that she must win in order to keep on being free. Mana sighed, her breath ragged as she was nervous of what the outcome would be. Lying down, she kept on staring at the ceiling until she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

6th of June came at last and this time, Gon and Killua managed to find time for her. She was extra nervous, knowing that they were watching not far from where she stood. Her opponent was a skinny man at Leorio's height and goes by the name Stance. But, what scared her was his choice of weapons – a two-hand sword that rested on one of his shoulders. She could deduce that he was far stronger despite the way he appeared.

"Point and KO style! No time limit! Begin!" the referee said.

Mana jumped a distance away as usual but she didn't throw her shurikens, acknowledging that he could block it with his giant sword. She took out her dual-blade swords which were loyally buckled around her waist. She prepared that as they do not require a huge amount of energy to be used, rather than her tonfa.

"Hehehe…I wonder what you got up your sleeves," Stance said in mockery.

He charged at her with his large sword and tried to split her into two but the girl blocked it with her swords, enhancing them with her Nen to strengthen them – if it had been her tonfa, they would break in an instant. She pushed him back and he toppled backwards and quickly, sheathed her swords. That was when Mana took the opportunity to hit his stomach three times, earning 6 points of clean hits.

"How dare you!" he shouted, thrusting his sword forward towards her direction.

She hopped onto his sword and kicked him in the face before jumping away from him. She earned 2 more points. Mana heaved a sigh of relief as she was still up on her feet. She was not as tired as fighting Misato. The man swiped his sword under her. She didn't have time to fully react by fortunate enough she was able to barely jump over it. She couldn't control her landing and almost toppled forward. The man pulled his sword up and tried to slice her again. This time, she was able to dodge and landed behind him. She elbowed the Stance's back, causing him to collapse. Mana won the round.

"Just one more win…" she mumbled, walking out of the arena. Gon and Killua were waiting for her outside.

Gon congratulated her and she smiled to him. Killua stared at her face, trying to read her expression. Before he could really guess her state of midn and body, she immediately excused herself and headed to the receptionist. Gon held her hand.

"Are you going to register? Now?" he asked, worried.

"Yes…they're the one who choose the date of my fights…" she replied, not facing Gon.

She pushed his hand away and ran to where she was heading. Gon was really worried. He turned to look at Killua who was acting calm all the way.

"Don't worry about her. You should focus on your upcoming match with Riehlvelt," he advised his best friends.

"Still…" Gon mumbled, turning to the direction where Mana headed.

The next day, Mana wore the same outfit as yesterday. She was certain that her father had this planned for a long time as the receptionist let her register again even though she was just finished with a match. Her last opponent was somewhat similar to her father's figure. He was tall, so tall that he might even topple due to his height.

"Begin!" the referee signed.

The man swiped her legs and she fell backward. She didn't even have time to stand up when he landed a hard blow on her stomach. She gasped for air, causing Killua and Gon to stir in their seats. They tried to remain calm for her sake. The man landed another blow and she gasped harder than before. Mana became more earnest in her fight. She got up immediately even though she was barely breathing calmly. Her breathings were simply ragged. She quickly healed her wounds and immediately jumped into midair. She spun in midair, creating a gust of strong wind.

"I don't think that'd work on me," the man smirked.

He took a deep breath and blew away the wind, causing Mana to collapse hard onto the ground. She got up and threw her shurikens. The man was busy blocking them and she took the opportunity to hit him thrice with her legs. She earned 6 points for that. He was sent backward, almost falling out of the ring. Just 4 points more for her to win.

"You're pushing yourself too hard. I can vividly see that," Stance said to her, smirking.

Mana backed away, her eyes were wide open, signing that she could not think of anything at all. The man in front took that opportunity to charge at her. Despite that she was able to run away, her speed was far too slow than Stance, resulting into him to stop in front of her. He held her by the collar of her t-shirt. Mana took a deep breath, releasing her Nen. She kicked him hard in stomach and he let go of his grip. She earned 2 points for that.

"I have to win…" she breathed.

She didn't waste time and punched him in the face and earned 2 points. Once she won the fight, she rushed out of the ring before Stance could chase after her.

"Mana, are you okay?" Gon asked when he caught sight of her figure.

"Y-Yes…" she managed, but then, she collapsed into his arms.

Killua walked up to Gon with a calm expression but Gon could never tell how he felt inside. Killua was actually beyond angry that Mana father treated her like that. He told Gon to send her to the hospital with a taxi he just called.

"I'll meet you there in a few minutes," he said to Gon.

"Okay," Gon replied, tucking Mana in his arms.

He started to walk to the exit of the Heavens Arena, wearing a very worried expression. He wondered what Killua was going to do.

Meanwhile…

Killua was in his room, trying his best to control his anger. He didn't know what has gotten into him. He kept on punching the wall of his room, relishing the pain. Suddenly, a thought of Mana hit him. he could clearly see her smiling face as she called for him. He looked down, clenching his fist hard.

"M-Mana…" he muttered.

* * *

Mana was unconscious for two whole days. When the she woke up, she found that she was alone in a ward of sort. She deemed that she was in a hospital and that the boys must have sent her. A nurse came in to check up on her.

"Oh, you're awake. Your aunt wants to see you," she said.

"Please, let her in," Mana replied, looking at the nurse.

Alliane came in after the nurse went out to inform her. Rock, her son, was with her. Mana nodded to them as a greeting. Alliane went to her side while Rock sat on a chair in front of the bed Mana was in.

"How are you feeling?" her aunt asked.

"Much better…" Mana replied, smiling weakly.

"The boys told me about you. I was worried sick. Why didn't you inform me?" the aunt asked.

"I didn't have time to contact you yet. I'm sorry," the girl looked down at her lap.

Alliane smiled and told the girl why she was here that day. Mana listened to her warnings and explanation about her father. Apparently, he was really after her and had already known about her surviving the murder. What he didn't know was the messaged bottle left by Rilliane to Mana.

"You must be careful. He might even get Killua and Gon involve just to have you," Alliane said worriedly.

Before she could continue her explanation, Killua and Gon came in after knocking a bit. Alliane and Rock got up and bowed to the twp and the boys bowed back. She bid goodbye and left with her son. Rock was able to observe both of the boys before he went out of the ward.

"Good news, Mana! The doctor said you can check out today!" Gon announced, beaming.

"I'm glad…" Mana drawled.

"You okay?" Killua asked her, staring at her face.

Mana shook her head before smiling happily as sign that she was okay.


	21. Water Divination

**I'm boredddddd...so, I updated again since tomorrow I'll be starting on my revision. I know I shouldn't wait for the time to come, but I didn't plan to study today. So, yeah...enjoy!**

Part 21: Mana's Water Divination

The next day, the three headed to Wing's house as always. Mana watched them train and cooked for them too as Wing had requested her. He couldn't get enough of her cooking. She was happy to know that. After dinner that day, they would be learning about Hatsu.

"Today, we will finally train in Hatsu. Once you master Hatsu, you will have learned the basic principles of Nen," Wing explained.

The three boys and Mana listened to him.

"After that, you will need to work on developing on your individual Nen style," the man continued.

"Osu!" the boys replied.

Mana nodded to him to show that she understood too.

"Hatsu is the technique by which you control your Nen. It is a culmination of Nen and there are six distinct categories," the man started.

Enhancer: a person is able to strengthen objects. Emitter can propel their aura. Transmuters can alter their aura's qualities. Conjurers are able to manifest their aura. Manipulator can use their aura to control objects and creatures. Specialists are those that do not fall in any other categories. They were told that the key was to find the power that suited them.

"The power that suits you?" Gon asked.

"Nen is linked to individual ability, with two areas of particular prominence," Wing explained.

He said the first would be the natural potential. Second is the potential refined later in life. He took Gon as example who was born with a flexible, springy body. He remarked that Gon's acute senses were the product of a childhood spent in nature. The categories were actually chosen at birth – the Nen would in any categories since then. But, there are probabilities to change the type of Nen they have. He even took Hisoka as an example – the way he turned his aura into a gum showed that he is a Transmuter.

"Is there any way to learn which category your aura falls into?" Killua suddenly asked.

"There is," Wing said, smiling.

He poured water in a glass and put a single leaf in the middle. He called that, 'Water Divination' – a Shingen-ryu technique for classifying one's aura and also used in training Hatsu. He demonstrated his Nen. Upon releasing his Ren on each side of the glass simultaneously, the water overflowed.

"Now, you three tried," he said to the boys.

Gon was the first and his result was the same as wing – he is an Enhancer. Zushi's Ren caused the leaf to slightly move – he is a Manipulator. Killua, among all, caused the water to change its taste and become a bit sweet – he is a Transmuter.

"Wait," Gon said before Wing could even start his lecture.

He turned to Mana, making the other three turn to her too. Mana blinked at them confusedly.

"I want to know your category," Gon requested.

"H-Huh?" Mana's jaw dropped.

"That's right…I feel like knowing too," Killua suddenly agreed.

"Yeah, Mana-san's aura is a unique one," Zushi agreed too, nodding to the two boys.

"B-But…" Mana blurted.

"Why don't you demonstrate to them?" Wing said to her.

Mana sighed as she went up to the desk where the glass of water stood. She brought her hands to either side of the glass. She told them to promise not to laugh. The boys nodded eagerly while Wing smiled as a reply. Mana started to release her Ren. The three watched closely.

The water started to evaporate until only a drop left and of course, the leaf remained. The last drop floated in midair with the leaf on it. It danced in midair with the help of the last drop of water. Then, the drop of water fell back into the glass and it was filled up with water in an instant. The leaf went back to its place, floating in the water just like before.

"Well?" she asked Wing, deeming that he knew her category.

'You're a specialist!" he exclaimed, amazed, "But…it will take you long to master enhancement…"

"Yes, it did take me long…I learned Nen since I was three. Though I can barely use enhancement," Mana started.

The boys turned to her. She nodded and explained why.

"My mother didn't want me to constantly think about father. So, she asked my Grandma to come and visit sometime to train me. I was somewhat confused at that time. It didn't really help me to forget about him," she said, looking at each of the males as she talked.

"I see…" Wing said, nodding.

Mana forced a smile but no one could sense it – her sadness. Wing continued his lecture, saying that he wanted the three boys to train their Nen for four weeks.

"That means, I can't bother you two…" she muttered.

"We'll squeeze some time for you," Gon reassured her.

She smiled to him and nodded. They headed back to their rooms after that.

* * *

Mana thought that she heard rustling noises in the middle of the night of 11th June. For the whole day, she avoided the boys in order to give them time to train their Nen. All she did that day was minding her own business in her room. A piece of paper slipped under her door. Mana rushed to get it and jumped back to her bed just in case someone was going to barge in and grab her before she could react. Deeming that it was safe, she read the note.

'Meet me at the café you always eat at, 5.00 p.m. tomorrow. – Your Father.' Mana gulped as anxiety made their way into her guts. Her mind was instantly clogged with what she would ask her father, but, most of all, will he answer any questions just like he had promised?

"Mana, are you in?" a voice startled her.

Mana could hear a faint sound of a knock on her door. She rushed to open it without a second thought. It was Gon. Finding it hard to believe, she blinked a few times to let her brain register the fact that Gon was at her door.

"Can I come in or not?" the boy asked.

"Y-Yes…" Mana replied.

Gon came in and sat on a couch by the window. He turned to her and she blinked again at him. He rubbed the back of his neck, thinking of what to say.

"I thought you might need company. I saw someone heading this way…was it your father's man?" he remarked.

Mana nodded. He widened his eyes a bit when she handed him the note. Gon read it and sighed.

"You're going?" he asked, concerned was in his tone.

"He promised me after I won the three matches," Mana explained.

"Is that why you struggled so hard to win?"

Mana nodded slowly, bringing her hands up to her chest. The boy noticed that she was holding her trembles. He guessed that she was afraid or even more than that by the thought of seeing her father alone. Gon got up from his seat and went up to her. He hesitantly brought his arms around her. Mana deemed that he wanted to comfort her with a hug. She brought her arms around him, resting her head on his chest. Gon was warm, much warmer than Killua. Gon hugged her too, glad and satisfied that he was able to calm her.

"I'm sorry I wasn't always there for you," he apologized.

"It's not your fault…besides, you have your own goal to fulfill..." she answered, slightly shaking her head.

He rested his chin on her head, sighing happily. Another knock was heard and the two pushed away immediately. Realizing what he just did, Gon blushed furiously. Mana stared at him before rushing to open the door as the person knocking it was getting impatient.

"K-Killua…what are you doing here? It's in the middle of the night," she said.

"I sensed someone else with you and thought I should come and check…" his words trailed off when he caught sight of Gon.

"Hi…" Gon stammered.

"What are you doing here?" the silver haired asked.

"I came to check up on her," the black haired answered.

Killua half glared as he was a bit jealous of Gon getting to Mana's room before him. Then, he turned to look at Mana. She was wearing a nightdress as usual but a dark blue color this time.

"You let him in?" he asked.

"I let _you_ in…" Mana replied in a confused manner.

Awkward silence was in the air. Killua stared at the two back and forth. Mana gazed at the floor. Gon looked out through the window. He then coughed to garb the two's attention.

"Seems like you're fine…I should be going…" he suddenly spoke to Mana.

He left after saying goodnight to the two of them. When the door shut tight, Killua stared at Mana in a way that makes her feel uncomfortable. She waited for him to burst but he refrained from doing so. He was afraid that she might cry like that one night.

"You didn't bother us at all today," he started.

"Yes…I want you two to train hard," she replied, looking at the floor.

"I see. Gon was worried sick about you," Killua said to her.

"I didn't know…I'm sorry…" she mumbled.

Killua stepped closer to her and she didn't take that as a sign to back away. He saw the note on the table, so he took it and read it. Mana remained silence as he did. He widened his eyes in shock.

"You're…not going…are you?" he asked, concern was in his tone too.

"No, I'm going…alone," Mana answered with determination.

She looked up at him and noticed that he was somewhat wearing a worried expression. Killua quickly turned his face away, calming himself down.

"Do what you want…" he suddenly voiced out.

"Killua…" Mana stepped closer to him.

The boy seemed to be hiding his expression away from her. Is he scowling? She wondered. Killua didn't say a word. Is he worried? She wondered again/

"I…want to know…" she started, clenching her fist.

Killua refused to listen. He exited her room without a word. Mana stood there, eyes welling up with tears as she thought of her two best friends. They were able to put up with her up until now and she hoped that they would let her stay. Now, she highly doubted that.

"I just…want to avenge Mommy…" she burst into tears.


	22. A Big Lie

**This is part 22...man, my brain id dying now. I haven't had any inspiration for awhile since last time I updated. May be because it is still exam season...?**

Part 22: A Big Lie

Mana got ready to head out to the café. She wore a pink blouse and a denim skirt, another one of her easy-to-move-in clothes. She didn't inform the two as she didn't want them to bother about her. To her, seeing them succeed in Nen training was much more important than her selfish needs. Besides, her father would want her to come alone.

Mana walked in a quick manner to the café, hoping that the boys didn't see her going out of the arena. Once she arrived, she sat at a table outside the café. It was already closed and there were not many people passing by.

"Where is he…?" she muttered.

Suddenly, three men surrounded her. Mana panicked a bit but she acted brave as if she was not scared at all.

"Where's f-father?" she asked, struggling to control her tone.

"He decided not to see you…" the one who was standing behind her, who had big wide eyes and spiky black hair answered.

"Yeah…but, he said we can have fun with you…" the one on her right, with long orange hair tied in a pony tail, smirked as he said that.

The one on her left had purple locks that were not tied at all and he let hang about his shoulders. He inched his face closer to Mana, flicking his tongue. Mana trembled a bit.

"W-What does he mean by that?" she asked, still able to control her tone.

"He meant…we can have you…" the one behind her replied, suddenly putting his hands on her shoulders.

"P-Please…" she begged, trembling harder.

She was scared of what they would do to her. She didn't know how to react. Even the people around them ignored her as if saying that they should not get involved, acting as if they didn't see anything out of the ordinary happening. She wished someone would come and save her.

"Then again, he did say we couldn't take you…" the one with purple locks spoke.

"Yeah...you're right, Harold…" the one with orange hair replied, sighing.

"That doesn't mean we can't do anything to her, Harold, Mike," the one with spiky hair smirked, taking out a penknife.

"Yeah, that'll be fun, Tod," Mike said, smirking too.

Mana tried to get up but Harold held her in place of Tod. She tried to struggle but to no avail. Harold covered her mouth so that she didn't make any noises. Tod held out her long scarlet hair and cut them with the knife. Mana's eyes welled up. She sobbed as they kept on cutting her hair randomly.

"He wants you to suffer a bit so that you would forget about him…" Mike explained, chuckling.

"Yeah, he said that you should be traumatized…" Harold continued.

"Yeah…and we should give you a little pain…" Tod said last before he traced the knife on her stomach, drawing scars on it.

Then, he stabbed her in the same place where Killua had stabbed her. The pain was unbearable and Mana gasped tremendously. She wished someone would come for her aid. In a flash, Killua kicked Mike's face, causing him to fall onto the floor with a loud thud. Gon punched Harold and he toppled backward.

"You okay?" Killua asked the girl.

"B-Barely…" she mumbled.

Killua's eyes widened when he witnessed her falling unconscious in front of him. Gon kicked Tod away from Mana and noticed the stab in her stomach. He deemed that it was the same spot where Killua had stabbed her.

"Gon…take her to the hospital…" Killua distracted him.

"Fine…" Gon replied, picking Mana up.

He rushed out of sight with her, not even questioning what Killua was about to do. The men surrounded Killua. Tod was in rage.

"We didn't even have enough fun yet!" he shouted at the boy.

"Yeah! Why do you have to come and ruined it?!" Mike shouted next.

"Let's deal with him first then…" Harold suggested, gritting his teeth.

Killua scowled at them, ignoring the fact that they were also Mana's father's men. The boy shut his eyes calmly, waiting for them to come closer to him.

"You dare…did that to my servant…" he growled.

"Your servant?" Harold mocked.

"I've never heard any of this from the boss…" Mike said.

Killua scoffed. He retracted his nails and stabbed each of them, killing them instantly without a second thought. He sighed after that, looking down at the lifeless body.

"I promised her I wouldn't kill…but I had to…" he muttered before walking away calmly.

* * *

Killua entered Mana's ward in the evening like he always did. It was usually his turn to watch over her during that time while Gon got his rest and also, to train Nen . Gon was sitting on a chair beside Mana, gazing at her. He noticed his best friend's stare at Mana was one that is in a madly in love manner. He assumed that Gon developed feelings towards her.

"Gon, it's my turn to look after her," he said, startling the boy a bit.

"Oh, r-right!" Gon stuttered.

He got up from the chair he was sitting. Killua could see that Gon was reluctant to leave as he kept on staring at Mana's pale face.

"I'll inform you immediately once she's awake. You need your rest and trainings too," he assured Gon.

"Right…but, it has been two weeks now…" Gon replied, still locking his eyes on her sleeping face.

Her face somehow looked pale and miserable to them. They were worried that she would throw a tantrum once she was awake, or at the very least screamed due to the fact that she was traumatized. Gon bid goodbye to Killua and exited the ward. Killua took the seat beside her bed.

"I wonder when you will wake up…" he started talking to himself, imagining that Mana was listening.

Killua smiled faintly, wondering how she would react when she found out that he killed the three. He knew that she would be dissatisfied but he did it for her sake.

"I took care of those three too…I didn't want you to suffer," he whispered, taking her cold right hand into his warm ones, "Please…wake up…"

But, Mana didn't even move a muscle. Killua gazed at her, out of ideas of what to do. He started talking again, telling her stories and hoping that she would open her eyes.

* * *

"_She lost a lot of blood before you could reach here," the doctor explained._

"_But, isn't there anything you can do?" Gon asked desperately._

"_Of course, we can always infuse her with some more blood. But, I highly doubt I know when she will wake up," the Doctor replied._

_Killua listened and stared at Mana's lifeless body. She was so pale that he was afraid he would lose her. He clenched his fists tight._

"_Please…do whatever you must…" he muttered in gritted teeth._

"_Killua…" Gon stared at his best friend._

_The two went back to Gon's room for the night._

"_Damn it! If only I could predict what would happen!" Killua burst in Gon's room._

"_Killua, calm down! You did predict! That's why you make me follow you to secretly follow her!" Gon tried to ease his anger._

"_But…if I was a little faster…just a little faster than them…I would have…" Killua was lost at words._

_He was too tired to say anything, but he was also really angry. Gon could sense the anger in the air and he knew how Killua felt. However, there was nothing he could do to ease Killua's anger and pain._

"_Mana…please be alright…" he mumbled._

* * *

Mana's eyes fluttered open. She sat up immediately but cringed when a sting hit her. The pain in her stomach can still be felt. She looked around and guessed that she was in a hospital. She sighed as she was all alone, but she didn't feel scared at all.

"Must've been the two…" she mumbled.

She pressed a button beside her to call for a nurse. The nurse came in with a doctor who beamed happily when he saw her sitting up. Mana blinked confusedly at the two of them. The two came up to her.

"My apology, I am the one who look after you these days," the doctor explained.

"I see…" Mana smiled to him.

"There are always these two boys who would come and take turns to look after you, but today, one of them has a match of sort, so they couldn't come," the nurse explained.

"Gon and Killua…" Mana muttered.

"How are you feeling?" the doctor asked.

"Good, but the pain is still there…" the girl replied.

"I see. Do you want to be released?"

"Can I?" her eyes widened with surprise.

Mana grinned when she saw the doctor nodded. She got ready to go after the nurse changed the bandage around her middle part of the body. The doctor examined her first and she listened to the his advices and then, rushed out of the hospital to head to Heavens Arena. It was dark when she stepped out of the place.

On the way, she bumped into Killua. He sighed when he saw her, a bit annoyed too. She noticed that he was wearing his black shirt and blue jeans. Was it time to leave?

"You're up now, huh?" he asked in a rather disapproving tone.

"Yes. Where's Gon?" she replied and looked around for the boy.

"He's resting up. He told me to come and get you," Killua explained.

"I see…did he fight Hisoka?"

"Hmm…and lost…"

"As expected…" Mana giggled.

They started walking back to Heavens Arena. Silence was in the air as both of them didn't speak up at all. Mana couldn't guess what Killua was thinking though the boy was actually relieved that she had awaken and looked healthy. When they got to the fountain, they saw Gon, Wing and Zushi. Mana rushed up to them while Killua kept his steady pace.

"Gon-kun, Killua-kun, you will need to master your own styles of Nen as you continue down your chosen paths," Wing said to the two boys.

The two nodded. Wing turned to Mana.

"Mana, you should keep on strengthening your Nen too," he said.

Mana nodded slowly.

"I'm glad I was able to meet you. You're set a worthy mark for me to surpass!" Zushi said confidently.

Mana blinked at him.

"You think you can pass us?" Killua asked the boy.

"One day, for sure!" the smaller boy replied.

"Won't happen," the silver haired said, a bit arrogance in his tone.

"I can't wait to see you do it, Zushi," Gon said.

"Good luck," Mana smiled to the smaller boy.

"I'm glad I got to taste your cooking too, Mana-san," Zushi turned to the girl.

"I'm glad I get to cook for you and Wing-san," Mana replied, giggling.

When they were about to go, they thanked Wing for everything. Mana gave a peck to Zushi on his cheek, making the boy turned as red as can be and causing the other two to be a bit jealous of him. Then, they started walking.

"Now that you've accomplished your goal, what do you want to do?" Killua asked Gon as they walked.

"Go back to Whale Island," Gon answered.

"Whale Island?" Mana and Killua said in unison.

"I was able to return the favor to Hisoka, so I want to go home and show Mito-san my Hunter license," the black haired boy explained.

"It's been over half a year since I left…" he mumbled.

"I guess I'll come with you. I do wish to meet Mito-san," Killua suddenly said.

"Really? What about you, Mana?" Gon looked at the girl.

"Can I really keep on tagging along with you?" Mana asked.

"Sure! Let's go together!" Gon beamed.

Mana faintly blushed as she nodded. Killua noticed but he ignored it.

"Can you really be up and about?" he asked her.

"Yeah, the doctor said I should. What saddens me is that my father lied..." she replied, looking down.

The two turned to look at each other.

"I guess…he really wants me dead…" she mumbled.

"We can find him at Yorkshin City! Together!" Gon said to her, stunning the girl.

"Gon…" Mana uttered.

"I'll help you look for him! We'll help you look for him! Then, we'll ask him why he did that," the boy continued.

"Thanks…" Mana was touched, so touched that tears trickled down her cheeks.

**and that's part 22. So, so, what do you think? Review and tell me, 'kay?**


	23. Mito-san

**Well...I'm on the verge of an exam and this is what I'm doing...*sigh* If Mom knows this, I'm dead meat!  
****Haha...anyways, enjoy!**

Part 23: Mito-san

Gon, Killua and Mana boarded a ship to Whale Island. It took them a few days to reach their destination, so the boys helped out where they could on the ship. Mana watched them as she was still in recovery. Gon was healed by her but she refused to heal herself as it took up twice her energy. She decided to stay the way she was for the time being.

"You lads are such nice, hardworkin' lads," the Captain praised them.

"They are," Mana agreed.

"How 'bout you go help 'em with the food or somethin'," the Captain suggested to her.

"Can I really?" she asked.

"Sure ya can, lassie," he entered.

"Just don't push yourself too hard, Mana," Gon called.

"Okay!" Mana replied, beaming happily.

"There it is! Whale Island!" Gon called his two friends, pointing at his home island.

"Huh? It is shaped like a whale…" Mana said in amazement, staring at the island.

"We're gonna have a lot of fun!" Gon exclaimed, grinning.

Mana smiled to him. They were dropped off at the port. The town is not that big, but it goes up, following the hills and mountains. The town folks didn't bother to straightening the land or else the island wouldn't be called Whale Island. There were some fishermen and some fishmongers around at the port, waiting to make a deal with each other. Then, going straight, Mana saw the tall buildings. They were all painted in white with red roofs.

"We have to go that way to get to my house," Gon said, pointing to their right.

They followed Gon up the path to reach his house. It was located near a cliff. The house is not too small but not too big either. It could fit a family and it is a two storey house. Beside it, on its left, stood the lines to hang clothes and there was an orange haired woman, dressed in a red blouse with pale peach skirt, hanging some white sheets.

"Mito-san!" Gon rushed up to her.

The woman stopped and turned around when she heard him. Her eyes widened a bit as she was surprised to see him. She rushed to hug Gon as she called his name. Killua and Mana hesitantly walked up the path.

"I'm home, Mito-san," they heard Gon said.

"Welcome home, Gon," the woman replied.

Then, she saw the two and smiled.

"You two must be Killua and Mana," she guessed.

"Huh?" the two looked at each other.

They were invited into the house. As they entered, the first thing they saw was the stairs leading to the next floor. There was a shelf full of plates, cups, glasses and cutleries on one side. There was a square dining table in the middle of the room. Mana could see two doors – one leading to the kitchen and the other must lead to the bathroom. She kind of liked how it made her feel very much at home. There was a book shelf on one side of the room. On the walls behind it were some photos, maybe of Ging and of the Freecss family. She sat down beside Killua, facing Mito's grandmother. Mito served them some hot cocoa.

"Sheesh, you could have let me know you were coming home," she muttered as she walked up to the shelf of plate and cups and glasses.

Killua took his drink. He stared at Mito's grandmother.

"I didn't have time to prepare anything," Mito complained.

"It's not a big deal, whatever is fine," Gon replied, taking his seat.

"What are you saying? Your friends came all the way out here to visit," the woman said, opening the shelf.

"No, it's okay," Killua gestured.

"Yeah, we're sorry to be bothering you for awhile…" Mana agreed with him.

Mito kept on muttering some complains as the boys grinned at each other which Mana thought was kind of rude. Then, Mito pointed a plate at them, asking whether they were listening or not.

"Oh, that's right…" she suddenly stopped complaining, turning to the three, "You boys take a bath while I make something to eat and put out your dirty clothes. I'll be doing laundry."

"Okay, later," Gon replied, nodding.

"Now! You have ten seconds!" she said sternly and started counting.

Gon rushed around, taking off his clothes. Killua was overwhelmed at how strict she was. Mana just giggled, watching Gon running about. Then, he took off Killua's clothes for him. After that, they rushed to the bathroom. Standing up, Mana looked up to Mito.

"I'll help you cook," she volunteered.

"Eh? But, you're the guest too," she refused to let her.

"I don't have anything better to do," Mana insisted.

Mito smiled to her and nodded. She followed the woman to the kitchen. She helped tear the cabbages and then, wash the tomatoes. Mito glanced up at her once in awhile. Mana rushed to get the broccolis and cucumbers out of the fridge because she forgot them a second ago.

"Mana, can you make pancakes?" Mito asked.

"Sure, I can…" the girl replied.

"Then, will you help me out here. I need to get the meatballs and fry them," the older female requested.

Mana nodded and went to her side. She took Mito's place in front of the frying pan. Soon, the food was spread out on the dining table. They all took their seats.

"Okay, let's eat," Mito said.

"Wow!" Killua exclaimed, taking a meatball into his mouth.

Then, he watched the three and noticed they were closing their eyes. Mana assumed that they were praying and it was true when Gon told Killua.

"Let's dig in. Please help yourselves, Killua, Mana," Mito said to the two.

"Right," the two replied.

The two boys gobbled up most of everything while Mito ate slowly, watching them happily. Her grandmother was smiling at the two boys. Mana only ate a bit as the pain in her stomach forbade her from eating too much. Though, she was happy for the boys as they get to eat something very decent for a change.

"Umm, Mito-san. Where's the post office? I need to send a letter to my grandfather," Mana asked.

"Hmm? I'll show you where it is tomorrow. It is getting dark already today, so I'm sure it's closed," Mito replied.

Mana nodded and continued eating. She didn't notice that Mito was watching her. Then, Gon showed Mito his license.

"It looks pretty normal," she stated, bending the card.

Gon panicked and snatched it away from her. She giggled, saying that she was just kidding. Killua and Mana watched the two, realizing how intimate they were.

"Mana, would you like to take a bath?" Mito asked when they were in the kitchen, busy washing the dishes.

"Hmm? I think so," Mana replied, taking another dirty plate to wash.

"Let's take a bath together! I've always wanted to take a bath with a niece or daughter… Care to pretend being one?" she suggested, looking at Mana.

"Hmm…okay…" the girl obliged although she was confused at why Mito would want to take a bath with her.

Mito brushed Mana hair, noticing that it was not at the same length. She wondered why but didn't ask. Mana was quiet all the time, letting Mito brush her hair and wash her back with a sponge. She bared the pain as she didn't want the woman to be worried.

"Mito-san…" she suddenly spoke.

"Hmm?" Mito stopped to listen.

"Is this the first time you took a bath with another female?" Mana suddenly asked, finding it hard to construct the question itself.

"Have ever taken a bath with one?" the woman asked.

"No…my mother was always busy minding her sadness about father. She usually made me took a bath on my own, especially once I turned 3…" the girl replied, bringing her knees up to her chest, ignoring her painful stomach.

Mito smiled sympathetically at the girl. Then she took a small bucket full of water and poured it onto her head to rinse the shampooed hair.

"I'm sure…she just couldn't face you. Maybe you reminded her lot about your father…" Mito reassured her.

"I love her and I know she loved me…but, she would never take a bath with me. I don't understand why…"

Mana couldn't hold herself and started to sob. She turned around in the bathtub and hugged Mito. The woman was stunned by her actions, widening her eyes. She sighed and hugged her back, running her right hand on the crying girl's head. After they were done, Mana was taken to Mito's room. She waited on the bed, with a towel wrapped around her as Mito went to get the first aid kit to bandage her stomach. She looked around. The bed was in the middle of the room. On its right side, a mirror stood and beside it was the window. On the left side of the bed, stood a cupboard and close to the door was the makeup table which Mito rarely used. Mito came in after awhile. She sat beside the girl and started her work on her.

"There you go," she exclaimed once she was done giving Mana a light makeover.

Mana stood in front of the mirror. Her hair was cut short, just like Mito's, but she kept her bangs. She was wearing the woman's old long dress and it was in a light pink color. It went down to her ankles but it was very comfortable, being that it is a cotton dress.

"Now, where are you sleeping tonight?" Mito asked.

"I don't know…" the girl replied, still staring at her reflection in the mirror as she couldn't believe it was her.

"I can here noises when I passed Gon's room. I assume they're having a pillow fight," Mito said, getting up from her bed.

"Can I…" Mana muttered.

"Pardon?" Gon's aunt turned to her, widening her eyes a bit.

"Can I sleep here?" the girl asked.

"Why is that so?" the woman asked, chuckling at the girl.

Mana looked down at the floor. She didn't know what to answer. There was silence in the air for a few minutes. Mito just waited for the girl to speak. Suddenly, a knock disturbed them.

"Yes," Mito called out, opening the door.

Killua pooped his head in and smiled to Mito. Then, he looked around and finally caught sight of Mana.

"Ah, have you decided where to sleep?" Killua asked the girl.

"Hmm…" Mana was a bit stunned at his question.

Mito looked at the two back and forth. She sighed.

"She'll be sleeping here, with me," she answered for Mana.

Killua sighed and nodded. Then, he closed the door to go back to Gon's room. Mito got her bed ready for Mana to sleep in. The girl suddenly made her promise that she could not tell the boys what Mana had told her, adding that she only told the boys her Mommy's good side as she didn't want to make them worry. Mito nodded to her and smiled. She went to put the first aid kit back to its place, in the cupboard downstairs. Mana sat in bed to wait for her.

* * *

"_Mommy~!" the three-year-old girl hummed as she looked for her Mommy._

_She reached her parents' bedroom and the door was left ajar. She heard some people whispering inside._

"_Honestly, she is such a nuisance!" a voice, which seemed to belong to a woman around her eighties, said._

"_No, she's not!" she heard her mother raising her voice._

"_Rilliane, you should take her away from here…it's too dangerous for you to be with her. Her father is searching for her," the old woman advised her mother._

"_I'm trying…but, I can't let her go…" Rilliane sighed sadly._

"_How's the scar?" the woman asked her._

"_It's not getting any better. If Mana finds out, she'll never love her father ever again," the mother replied._

"_Then, don't ever let her see that…"_

"_Right…"_

* * *

Mana woke up from her dream. She sat up and looked at the time from a clock which was put on the head of the bed. It was passed midnight but Mito was not in yet. The girl assumed that she was doing the laundry. Mana stared down at her palms on her lap. She thought of the dream she just had. If she had been matured at that time, she would have coaxed her mother into showing that scar. Alas, she was just a typical three-year-old girl. Mito came in and closed the door. Mana beamed to her.

"You're not asleep yet?" the woman asked in surprise.

"I was…I just had a nightmare…" Mana muttered, yawning.

Shaking her head, Mito said, "Let's go to sleep now. We need to wake up earlier than those two tomorrow so that we could prepare them a decent breakfast."

"Mm!" Mana nodded happily.

**I didn't know what title to give, so I just randomly picked one since the climax was when Mana met Mito and started telling the woman about her Mommy...**


	24. Feelings?

**This is quite twisted. The story won't be developing much, not until they get to Yorkshin City that is. Mito definitely has no connection with Mana's plot line. It's just happen that there was two episodes of the boys staying at Whale Island, so I included that.**

Part 24: Feelings?

Mana helped Mito prepare breakfast the next day. They made pancakes, honey and syrup to be eaten with them, read bean sauce, toasts and boiled eggs. Killua and Gon were taking a bath together at that time. Mana already took her bath, alone. Mito's grandmother was asked to rest by Mana, at the dining table.

Mito was having doubtful thoughts when the girl hummed happily as she served the breakfast on the table.

"That'll be all…what should we have to drink?" Mana asked the woman.

"Oh, we can make tea…or do you prefer hot cocoa?" Mito suggested.

"Hmm…anything will do," the girl replied, smiling.

Mito nodded to her. They decided to make milk tea. At 8.30 sharp, they gathered at the table to eat. Killua and Gon widened their eyes at the breakfast spread on the table, almost drooling.

"Dig in, everyone!" Mito said, beaming.

Mana took a piece of pancake and poured some honey on it. She started to eat it slowly. Mito was observing but she didn't know. Gon gobbled up two pancakes in an instant and started to eat a boiled egg. Killua swallowed an egg and then, started on a pancake. Mito's grandmother watched and smiled. She poured them their drinks and the boys thanked her.

"So, what are your plans today?" Mito asked the three once they were done eating.

"Don't know yet. I thought of showing Killua and Mana the island first," Gon replied and Killua nodded.

"If you say so," the woman replied.

She called for Mana to help her with the dishes once everyone was done eating. Gon helped too while Killua went to Gon's room. Mana washed the dishes and passed them to Gon who wiped them dry. Mito went to put them back into the shelf. She was actually spacing out, thinking of what she was supposed to be doing. So suddenly, Gon heard a crush beside him. He turned to look and saw Mana, shutting her eyes tight and cringing. She was holding her feet. Gon widened his eyes when he saw blood flowing on the floor.

"Mito-san!" he called.

The woman rushed in and stopped when she saw Mana.

"Good gracious!" she exclaimed with her right hand on her mouth.

She was so shocked. Gon rushed to get the first aid kit. Mito cleaned up the pieces of broken plate around Mana. Then, she helped the girl onto a chair at the dining table. Coincidently, Killua was going down the stairs with his hands in his pockets. He noticed what Mito was doing. Gon was beside Mana, blocking her from Killua's view. He blinked a few times before proceeding to them.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Mana accidently broke a plate and stepped on the pieces," Gon replied, turning to the boy.

"I'm sorry…" the girl sobbed miserably as she rubbed her teary eyes.

"Now, now, no need to cry…" Mito soothed her as she wrapped her right foot.

Once she was done, she left her with the boys. Killua stared at her, bringing hands behind his head. Gon looked at her sad face. She looked so miserable.

"Did something happen last night?" he asked the girl.

"N-No…" Mana replied, hiccupping.

"Then, what are you thinking about?" Killua was next to asked her.

"N-Nothing…just like always..." Mana sobbed again.

"Your father, huh?" the silver haired asked.

The girl nodded. Gon was really concerned.

"Mana, you can't walk for the time being…" Mito suddenly made an appearance before he could ask anything.

Mana obeyed. When afternoon came, Gon decided to only show Killua around the place since Mana was in no shape to go with them. He promised Mana that he'll bring something back for her. Mana shook her head upon hearing that. She told them to enjoy themselves and not worry about her.

"Those boys…they didn't have to leave you behind…" Mito sighed, serving Mana a cup of hot cocoa.

She sat opposite of Mana, on her left. She looked at the girl with narrow eyes and warm smile, resting her chin on her right hand. Mana took a sip of the drink and then, observed the message bottle. Then, she suddenly thought of something.

"Umm…Mito-san…" she called.

"Yes?" the woman replied, sitting up straight.

"What was Gon like when he was little?" the little girl asked.

"Gon? When he was little?" Mito chuckled.

Mana nodded, eagerly ready to listen. Mito told her story of how Gon was brought up. She didn't mention about his father abandoning him to become a Hunter.

"Gon was so flexible and very active. He always drags himself into troubles. I never wanted him to take the Hunter Exam. I even coaxed him into staying, but he still wants to go…" Mito explained.

"He's really determined," Mana muttered.

"Why did you ask so suddenly?"

"No definite reason…" the girl replied, shaking her head.

Mito smiled to her because she understood what the eleven-year-old was trying to hide. She got up and went into the kitchen. Mito's grandmother came after awhile and sat at the table to begin her knitting. Mana observed her curiously. The old woman smiled to her.

"What are you doing?" the girl asked.

"Oh, I'm making a handkerchief," the old woman replied.

"Oh…I see!" Mana replied, watching with interest.

* * *

Sunset came and the boys hadn't come home yet. Mito came out of the kitchen after washing some dishes they used during lunch. She even prepared some dinner and all that was left was to wait for the two boys. Mana was glued on the chair she sat in since morning as she could still feel the piercing pain on her feet.

"Gon and his friend are rather late," Mito's grandmother sighed.

"It's been awhile since he was last on this island. And he's brought his first two friends along, though Mana couldn't join them," Mito stated her opinion.

"I think they won't be back until it's late…" she continued.

"I think so too…they are quite adventurists…" Mana agreed.

Mito smiled as she turned to look out through the window. Then, she went back into the kitchen. Her grandmother turned to Mana and the girl shrugged a reply. After awhile, Mito came out with a basket.

"Are you going to send them the food? Can I come with you?" Mana asked.

"How are you going to walk exactly?" Mito asked, worried.

"I can bare it…" she lied, standing up.

She used her Nen to cover her injuries and slightly reduce the pain. She rushed to follow Mito into the forest. It was quite thick but Mito seemed to know her way. The trees stood high, showing that they were alive. Mana could here some birds chirping and the cricking of crickets which was a sign it was nightfall. The two boys were camping on a cliff by the lake. When they got to where Gon was, they heard Gon telling stories about his mother and Mito. He was saying that he would never ask for a better Mom as Mito was his one and only mother. The woman was touched and so she decided not to bother them.

"Are you staying?" she asked Mana.

The girl nodded. She was confused when Mito handed her the basket she was holding. Then, she walked away. Mana stood there stiffly.

"Hey, Killua…do you think Mana will tag along forever?" Gon suddenly asked.

"Hmm? Why ask such a question?" Killua was confused.

"I thought…maybe she should just stay here with Mito-san. I'm worried if she kept on trying to find her father, she'd be…" the black haired boy dragged his sentence, rolling his eyes.

"Hmm…I don't really mind her tagging along," Killua chuckled.

"Really? Why?" Gon turned to look at him.

Mana made an appearance before the silver haired could answer. The two turned to her with confused expression.

"Umm…M-Mito-san asked me t-to send th-these to y-you…" she stammered.

She went up to the two boys. She put the basket between them.

"Stay for awhile, Mana…" Gon invited.

"N-No thanks…my feet is killing me, so I better go," she excused herself and run away.

Mana was sitting on Mito's bed as she brushed her hair. She heard noises downstairs and deemed that the boys were back. Then, she soon heard water running in the bathroom. Mito must have told the boys to take a bath, the girl guessed. When she was done, she pinned her bangs to her left with two pink hairpins. She sat in bed for awhile, waiting for Mito to come in.

"When is she coming? It's almost midnight…" she muttered.

She found it hard to sleep alone after the dream she had had. She decided to go to Gon's room, thinking that Killua and Gon would let her sleep there. There, she found Killua lying in bed, fast asleep. The futon was laid on the floor with a pillow on it. She stared at it for a brief seconds.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" the boy mumbled, sitting up.

"I couldn't sleep…Mito-san isn't back yet…" the girl replied, turning to him.

He patted the corner of the bed, signing for her to sit down. She went up and sat there. She didn't look him in the eye as she was a bit scared of what, she didn't know. Killua observed her expression. He could guess what she was thinking.

"You're thinking about what I was going to answer just now, right?"

"How did y-you know?" Mana stammered, clenching her fists which were on her lap.

"It's written all over your face," the boy replied, sighing.

Mana bit her lips. She didn't know how to react at all. Killua fell on the bed, looking at the ceiling. The girl glanced up at him.

"Wanna sleep here? I think Gon will be late, Mito-san too," Killua invited.

"I don't know…Mito-san might throw a fit if she saw me, a girl, sleeping with a boy," Mana replied, making the boy to quickly sit up.

"What? It's not like I'm going to…umm…do something bad to you…" Killua replied, faintly blushing and rubbing his right cheek.

Mana giggled upon seeing his embarrassed expression. She knew what he meant. Killua might be young, but he was very wise and mature. He gazed into her eyes as she giggled. When she saw what he was doing, the girl stopped and looked at him.

"So?" he asked.

"I-I'll be sleeping here…I g-guess…" she didn't know why she stammered.

Mana lied on the futon. Killua sighed.

"I insist you to sleep on the bed…" he said, half sternly.

Mana obliged, sitting up. She went up to the bed and lied on her back beside Killua. The boy was facing his front to the wall with his back to her. She stared at the white ceiling, struggling to go to sleep. She deemed that Killua was fast asleep already. It was 2.00 a.m. and Gon was still downstairs. She could hear voices and laughter.

"Umm…K-Killua…" she started.

"Yes?" the boy answered, surprising her.

"I'm sorry I bothered you sleeping…" she apologized.

"Never mind that…what's wrong?" the boy turned to face her.

Mana stared down at his chest in order to avoid eye contact with him. Killua looked at the girl's hair.

Flushing, he suddenly drawled, "I've just realized, your hair, it's…umm…beautiful…"

"T-Thank you..." she replied, creeping closer to him.

Killua stiffen when he felt her resting her head on his chest. He stared down at her, rather awkwardly. She crept closer to him, making him to stiffen even more. She slowly closed her eyes but sometimes, he could see her struggle to stay awake for no definite reason. He chuckled when he saw that. Soon, she was fast asleep. Killua's eyes were showing a deep sense of care, the care that he possessed for Gon as well.

"Mana…" he said soothingly, running his hand in her hair, "Please stay with me…I don't want you to leave…"

He hugged her ever so tight that Mana stirred in her sleep, struggling to breath. He pulled away after that, but the girl was holding onto his top tank. He could barely move as even though he only shifted a bit, the hold got tighter. He could even hear the girl huffing and muttering when he did so. So, he stood still and forced himself to go to sleep.


	25. I Choose My Way

Part 25: I Choose My Way

Mana picked up a basket of washed laundry and struggled to carry it to the cloth lines to hang it. She didn't realize that Mito and her Grandmother were watching her. The women were giggling at the sight of the girl struggling to hold the heavy basket. When she got there, she found that the lines were too high for her to reach.

"Here, let me help," Mito suddenly said.

Startled, she turned around and grinned to Mito. "I didn't know you saw me. I thought of helping out…"

Mito took a white sheet and started hanging the laundry. Mana stepped aside and waited. She watched Mito hang the clothes one by one. When it came to Gon's shirt, she gazed at it before hanging it along with the sheets. Mana smiled to the woman.

"He said he was staying for more or less a month…" she started.

"Hmm? Really?" Mana asked in curiosity.

Mito chuckled, staring at the sky. "Though, I bet he'd be going tomorrow."

The girl gazed at the woman. "Mito-san…"

The two went entered the house with the empty basket once Mito was done. Mito went to get the watering can to fill it with water. Mana sat at the table, waiting. They had had their lunch before hanging the laundry. It was almost tea time by the time they got in. Suddenly, they heard some thumping sounds above them.

"What are those boys up to?" Mito wondered out loud.

"I'll go check," Mana volunteered.

"Why don't you take some tea and cookies up to Gon's room for the boys, while you're at it," the Grandmother suggested.

"Sure, I'll do that…" the girl obeyed, going into the kitchen.

She got a tray and put three glasses of milk tea. Then, she took a jar of chocolate chip cookies as she knew how much Killua loves sweet things and how Gon would eat almost anything. After everything was ready, she rushed upstairs with the tray. When she got to the door, she heard noises from inside the room, sounded like Killua's voice. Mana hesitantly knocked on the door, afraid that she was interrupting them.

There was complete silence for a minute before Gon called out, "Come in."

Upon opening the door, she found them with a radio. Killua was holding up a cassette tape as he explained something about how people could extract information from just a simple tape. They stared at her.

"I-I've brought us s-some tea," she stammered with an insecure smile.

"Thanks! I was getting hungry!" Killua suddenly announced.

He grabbed two pieces of the cookies. Mana put the tray on what seemed to be Gon's study desk. She took her drink and went to sit on the bed. Taking a sip of the milk tea, she goggled at what they were doing. While munching on a cookie, they talked about a small memory card.

"This memory card only works with the Joy Station," Killua explained.

Gon stared at him in confusion. His face showed that he was pleading for further explanation. Killua sighed and started explaining about the memory card.

"If this island has tape players, it probably has a console," he said excitedly, turning to Gon, "Is there a toy store here?"

Gon nodded. Killua announced that he was going to buy one. When he left, Gon called out from the window to tell him where the toy store was. Then, he went back in. He gazed at Mana who was nibbling a cookie. She seemed to be staring into space, or rather, at the floor. Noticing his gaze, the girl looked up to him.

"You slept with him again…" Gon sighed, frustrated.

"I'm sorry…you and Mito-san sure took your time last night," Mana replied.

"We were talking about Ging," Gon explained, looking away from the girl, "She told me everything she knows and give me this box."

Mana stared at the box in his hand. She wondered what it was. Thinking of the box as a message from Ging to Gon, she remembered about the message bottle that was loyally at her neck. She wondered what it was but she was not ready to know. What if it was something she didn't like? What if it was really bad news, so bad that she couldn't accept it? Her pessimism hit her mind.

"I think I should go and see what Mito-san is up to," she announced and rushed out of the room.

Gon clenched his fists as he didn't have the guts to tell her to stay. He didn't want her to face anymore danger with them. It was not like she's a burden but he just didn't want to see her sad face. Killua came in after a while with the Joy Station.

Meanwhile…

"Mito-san, Oba-chan? What are you two doing?" Mana asked when she saw them in the kitchen.

"We're cooking dinner. Care to lend a hand?" Mito answered.

"It might be your last since…" she didn't continue her words.

Mana was a bit confused but she helped anyway. She loved cooking after all. She was told to take the meatballs out from the fridge and cut them into half, each. After that, she helped cut the vegetables while Mito readied the soup. Mana took the shrimp out of the fridge and cut the heads. Mito's Grandmother was kneading the dough for the bread. It took them sometime, but a decent dinner was served in front of the two boys. There was chicken, meatball soup, steamed shrimp and a basket full of bread.

"There's so much food!" Gon exclaimed.

He turned to Mito and asked, "Is something special happening?"

Mana went and stood beside Killua with a smile on her face.

Smiling as happy as she could, Mito explained. "You won't be back for awhile, right? Who knows when you next chance to eat will be? Fill up now."

"Mito-san…" he starred at his aunt and nodded happily.

They all sat down and ate their food. Once they were done, Gon volunteered to do the dishes with Mana. He thought that it was the perfect chance to tell her. Killua went ahead, going upstairs to Gon's room.

"Mana…" he cleared his throat.

"Hmm?" Mana asked, handing him another plate to be wipe dry.

"Why don't you stay?"

Mana's action came to a pause when she heard that. Gon braved himself up to tell her.

"I want you to stay. It's safer… I don't like seeing you suffer…" he explained.

Mana kept on looking down, biting her lower lip. She held the plate in her hands tighter, almost breaking it to half. After awhile, she washed the plate thoroughly and handed it to him like just now. Then, she took another one, acting as if Gon didn't say anything. However, Gon stayed there, waiting for her reply.

"I'm…sorry…" she replied in a low, cracking voice, "But, I want to find my father…and avenge Mommy and repay for what he did to me…"

"But, you might suffer!" the boy protested.

"I might…I'll take the risk, I'm sorry. I'm doing this my way…even if it means going alone."

Leaving the dishes as they are, she rushed upstairs to Mito. The woman was startled to see her crying. She hugged the girl and soothed her. Little did they notice that Killua was peeking on them. He sighed as he knew who made her cry.

"Gon, I told you she should come with us…"

That night, before going to sleep, Killua confronted Gon about what happened. He sat on the futon and stare at the rarely depressed black haired. Gon, at that time, was sighing as he stared at the ceiling.

"What did you say to her?" Killua asked.

"I told her to stay because I don't want to see her suffer…" Gon replied.

"I told you not to do that. Why do you always act on your own? Have you ever thought other people's feelings?" the silver haired asked.

The black haired stared at the floor. "Yes…but, I never think twice. I only think once and take the risk of hurting people's feelings if it means that they will be safe…"

"That's just you…but, let her decide on her own for now…"

* * *

The voyage came and Mito as well as her Grandmother bid the three farewell. Mana swore she was going to miss the two because it was very comforting to have the company around. Mito waved goodbye as the ship set sail.

"Mito-san! I'm going to find Ging!" Gon called out.

Mana and Killua smiled to him.

"Once I do, I'll return to the Island. Take care of yourself until then!" the boy called out again.

"It sure nice to have a mother like Mito-san," Killua muttered.

"I guess…" Mana replied.

It has been a few days since they boarded the ship. They would soon reach their destination. Killua and Gon were busy helping the captain as they didn't want to sit around only. Mana watched them and wished she could help too. Of course, she helped in the kitchen but only if the head cook let her.

"Why don't you go and rest, Mana? You seemed sleepy," Gon suggested.

"But…" Mana was about to protest when Killua interrupted.  
"Yeah. We'll call you once we've arrived."

Mana refused and she sat there, waiting for them. Killua waited for the message eagle from her brother. It was a message of the URL of the Website for Hunters. The eagle came at last. It landed on Killua's arm.

"Let's get started!" Gon said to him.

"Yeah!" Killua replied.

Mana was busy minding her own thoughts. She kept on thinking about her father and his lies. If she had known, she wouldn't have gone to the café that evening. This time, she would have another chance to find him in Yorkshin City. Would he see her? Or would he hire someone to threaten her again? She was scared but she would have to face that if she really loves her Mommy.

"Mana, we're here," Gon called out for the girl.

Startled, she stammered, "Y-Yes…c-coming…"

They were at the dock of Yorkshin City. Once they were got off, they went straight up to a fountain to observe the city. It was big, really big. Many tall buildings were around them, but not as tall as hotels should be, which means, they were a bit far from the town central.

"We have to check in somewhere first," Killua suggested.

Gon and Mana nodded. They followed him around town to search for one. There wasn't many that they could afford. Mana suggested that they used her money from the Heavens Arena since she didn't know what to use it for. So, they checked in to a small motel that was quite comfortable.

"I guess there's just this one," Killua said to the two.

"By the way, Mana, do you prefer to share a room with us or rent another room only for you?" Gon asked the girl.

"I don't mind. Any will do," Mana replied.

"Then, let's just rent one room. Though, it means we have to respect a girl's privacy," Killua suggested, turning to Gon.

Mana clenched her fist as she wanted to say something. She stammered her words, "I-If you d-don't want to share, I'm f-fine with it. Just give me a r-room a-alone then…"

The silver haired glanced up at her face. Gon was stunned. He stared at Mana in disbelief. On the other hand, Killua could read her expression and so he didn't agree with her.

"No, I don't think so," he spoke up.

"I said it's fine. Just rent a room for me!" she half shouted.

Killua's eyes widened at the sudden burst. Gon just stared at her even though he didn't know that she could do that. Realizing what she had done, the girl covered her mouth with her hands.

"Your keys," the receptionist said.

Mana grabbed the one on the receptionist's left hand and immediately took an elevator to her room. Killua stared at the elevator she just took. For the first time, he didn't understand what was on her mind.

"Should we go talk to her?" Gon asked him.

"No…I don't think she'll open the door for us…" the boy replied.

"Then, we should just wait in our room…" the black haired suggested.

Meanwhile, Mana has gotten to her room. Once she was in, she jumped onto the bed and hid her face in the pillow. She didn't realize it until he pillow was partly soaked with her tears…she was crying.

**Okay,,,,I need you guys to give me your opinions. This story has a lot of dragging in it...like...how should I say it, no clarification much and it took long to know why her father did that and was he in love with her mother or not...  
****So, I was thinking of making it more interesting and not dragging too much, but to do so, I must increase the length of each chapter for CHP 26 that is.  
****What do you guys think? If there are any suggestion, PM me or put it in your review...**


	26. Taken Away

**I did my best on this one...I think...but, there was not much of Killua's and Gon's appearance. I thought doing a few chapters of Mana and her father. Oh! This contains a bit of vulgar language...unles you're not that imaginative and I would be glad about that...**

**Enjoy and tell what you think!**

Part 26: Taken Away

Mana woke up late the next morning. She sat up in bed and looked around the room. On the right side of the bed was what looked like a small living room, where you can sit and talk with guests? There were two couches, a small table, a cupboard, a coat stand and a desk with a computer on it. That small living room and the bed were separated by a path to the room's door. The bathroom was right opposite of the bed.

Mana sighed as she didn't know what to do. Should she go and find the boys? After what she had done, will they still consider her? She got up and dragged herself to take a bath. Then, she put on another dress as she needed to clean the one she wore before. She tied her hair into two small pig tails.

"I guess…I should at least go see them…" she sighed.

Mana made her way back to the lobby. She went up to the receptionist desk.

"Excuse me…" she called.

"Yes?" the receptionist turned to her and stopped for a brief moment, eyeing the girl.

"Is there something on my face?" Mana asked as the stare was scaring her.

The receptionist shook her head and smiled. "No, that is not it. Miss Mana, I presume? Sir Killua and Sir Gon described you to me. They left you a message."

"A message?" the girl waited.

"They said that if you want to find them, they're at the nearest Net Café."

"I see. Thank you," the girl bowed and exited the motel.

Mana walked around town. She didn't really know the place and the receptionist didn't tell her how to get to the Net Café. The receptionist might have not known which Net Café they were talking about. She sighed as she kept on walking. Suddenly, her stomach grumbled and the girl had just realized that she hadn't had anything to eat. She soon stumbled upon a bakery.

She pondered for awhile before deciding. "Well, I have nowhere else I know that has decent food. I'll just have to deal with it."

So, she entered the bakery and bought some buns. Then, she was back on her way. Unfortunately for her, she bumped into a familiar man. A man she wished to see but not alone like she was at the time.

He was her father, dressed in tuxedo just like the first time she bumped into him.

"Well, well, well…look who's here," the man smirked down at her.

The girl backed away, turned around and was about to run.

"Boss…" a familiar woman called, stopping right in front of the girl.

"Misato…" Mana said, recognizing the woman.

The woman was dressed in suit almost similar to her so called boss. Misato acted as if she didn't even know the girl and refused to acknowledge her. Mana's father nodded to the women. She took hold of Mana's right wrist and pulled her up to her father. She whispered something to the man. Mana was struggling to free herself from the grip. It wasn't hurting her but it was a quite firm one.

"Are you sure?" the man asked.

"No doubt, Boss…" Misato replied.

The girl thrashed as both of her hands were pulled to the back. "Let me go!"

Before she could do anything further, her father was right in front of her. She gasped and kept still. He squatted beside her and eyed a certain targeted object. When Mana realized at what he was staring, she was too late. The man snatched it from her neck, got back up and smirked at the helpless girl. Misato bit her lip.

"Give i-it b-back!" the girl begged.

"No! I want to know what her message is! I will give it to you once I'm done with it…" the man replied, observing the message bottle, "…or maybe not…"

"What shall I do with her?" Misato asked.

"Throw her along with them! You know who I meant," the man ordered.

With his evil laugh, he disappeared into thin air. Misato looked away, biting her lower lip. She ignored the girl. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she fell to her knees with Misato still holding her wrist. Mana was too shocked to move. Soon, she burst into tears.

Meanwhile…

Gon and Killua had just finished finding clues about the game, Greed Island from the website for Hunters. They were resting at the fountain, talking about what they should do next since the first bidding was highly expensive.

"Let's go grab dinner and then, go back to the motel," Killua suggested.

He was starving and he assumed that Gon was too. It was already late in the evening when they arrived at a café. They took their seat and ordered what they wanted.

"I wonder…what she's doing…" Gon mumbled.

Catching what his best friend had mumbled, the silver haired said, "You don't have to worry about her. Sooner or later she'll come and find us."

The boy in front of him sighed. "I guess so…you're right…"

* * *

The next day, Gon knocked on her door.

"Mana, we're going to see the stalls…wanna come?" he called out.

No answer came. Gon turned to Killua who was beside him. The boy sighed.

"Wait for me in the lobby," he said.

"Right…" Gon obeyed though deep in his heart, he wished to comfort Mana.

Since Mana was quite attached to Killua, Gon had to give up on comforting her this time. Plus, he was not the type that would barge into a girl's room just to make sure she was alright. Killua did. He turned the knob and pushed open the door. He looked around and listened for that familiar voice.

But, nothing came.

"Hey, where are you?" he called out, looking around.

He sighed, thinking that she still didn't want to talk to him at the time. Assuming that she was in the room, he told her where he and Gon were going. Then, he left the room.

Gon caught sight of Killua coming out of the lift alone. He went up to him.

"How'd it go?" he asked.

"She didn't say anything. I think she went out or something…" the boy muttered a reply.

A sigh escaped Gon's lips. The silver haired stared at his friend. He didn't know what to say to him. He wanted to remain calm too, but the girl is somewhat bothering his mind.

"Let's just leave her alone for now. We'll talk to her later this evening. We just enjoy ourselves for now…I think. Wanna go to some stalls?" he suggested.

Gon looked up at him. "Sure, I guess."

* * *

Mana was shoved into a room in a basement of a hotel. Before she could stand up to escape, a man grabbed her right foot and chained it to a heavy metal ball. Misato didn't say a word as she watched the girl struggling to get free. Her hands were bound to the wall behind her.

"That'll keep you in place," her father smirked down at her.

"Shall we get going, Boss?" the man that bund her asked.

Her father nodded. He knelt down in front of her. Mana looked away from him. He squished her cheeks and forced her to look at him.

"Let's see if your assassin friend can save you now…" he whispered.

Mana's eyes widened as she was shocked that he knew about Killua's background. She trashed around and watched as the door closed in front of her.

"I have to get out of here…" she muttered, tugging at the chains holding up her hands.

"Big Sis…who is she?" she a voice asking.

"I don't know…" another voice answered.

In that same room was a three-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl. Mana didn't notice as the room was quite dark. Maybe they were hiding from her father just now. They hands weren't bound to chains like hers but their right feet were chained to a heavy metal ball, just like hers.

"Please, don't be scared…" she said soothingly.

"W-Who are you?" the girl asked.

Mana smiled to her. "My name is Mana. What are yours?"

"I-I'm Yui…and this is…Aoi…" the girl replied.

"Why are you tied?" Aoi asked, inching nearer to her.

Mana sighed. She didn't know how to explain her situation to a little boy as well as his sister. She turned to Yui who was busy observing her. She wondered why the two kids were locked in too.

"Why are you two here?" she asked.

Yui frowned and sighed. "Mommy said we have to stay here…"

Mana furrowed her brow. "Mommy?"

Yui nodded. Aoi started to sob, leading to Yui picking him up. The brown haired girl soothed her brother. Mana sympathized the two children. They must have been here longer than she thought. She didn't know who their mother was but she assumed that the woman worked under her father.

It was soon, nighttime.

Mana tugged on her chains again as the two kids watched. They didn't know why she badly wanted to escape. The door's lock clicked. The door was pushed open by a man quite familiar to Mana, Stance.

"Here," he shoved two trays.

"Dinner?" Mana asked.

The man turned to her with a smirk. "Not for you, but for those two kids. Your father said you should starve to death as he already got what he wanted."

Mana gritted her teeth at the man. Stance chuckled before exiting the room and locking the door. Yui and Aoi went up to their tray to find a plate of fried rice each and a glass of milk. The little girl looked up at Mana.

"A-Are you okay with not eating?" she stammered.

Mana turned to her with a smile. "I'm fine…don't worry."

She watched as the two gobbled up their food. This must be the only meal they had to keep them going, or so she thought. She closed her eyes and thought of an escape plan. If she was to become a servant of the Zoldyck, she must be strong.

"Big Sis…" Aoi murmured.

Yui turned to her brother with her brow raised. Aoi handed her his plate. There was still half of the rice left. She understood what he meant, however she was worried that he might be hungry. She turned to look at Mana who was busy thinking.

She took the plate and crept closer to the scarlet haired. "Umm…here," she called out.

Mana snapped and turned to her. "Huh? As you can see, I am chained to the walls…so, I don't think I should be eating."

"But…Aoi insisted that you eat…" Yui mumbled.

The scarlet haired nodded and thanked her. She began feeding her with a spoon. Stance came back after two hours to take back the trays. Before he did so, he inched his way to Mana. There was an eerie smirk plastered on his face. He squatted in front of Mana.

"Hey…did you know what your father said to me…?" he asked.

Mana scowled. "What?"

"He said I should…" he whispered to her ears.

Mana widened her eyes. She started to thrash around again. Yui and Aoi hid behind the door, scared. Stance grabbed hold of her chin.

"Don't worry…I won't kiss you though…" he whispered.

"You fiend!" Mana spat out, trembling.

She shut her eyes firmly as Stance lifted her dress.

"You'll enjoy it too…" Stance laughed an evil laugh.

Her virginity was taken with Aoi and Yui witnessing it.

* * *

It was soon midnight. Mana's dress was all tattered and dirty. Her inner thighs were full of bites. Stance did her a lot of time. She was disgusted with herself for not even fighting him. She thought of Killua and Gon.

"I wonder how they were doing…considering that they didn't notice I wasn't in my room…" she muttered by herself.

She turned to the sleeping kids and remembered how they continuously apologized to her for not stopping Stance. Then she looked down at her chained foot. It was time to escape, she thought. Summoning all of her strength with the help of Nen, she pulled on her right hand, startling the two. They watched as the chain came off from the wall. Then, she tugged on her left hand and the same outcome happened. She pulled on the ring around her foot and it broke.

"I really do have enough strength to deal with these…" she sighed.

Yui and Aoi looked at each other. Mana turned to them and crept closer.

"Who's your Mommy?" she asked.

"Misato…" Yui answered short.

"I'll take you to her." Upon saying that, Mana took the chains off the two kid's feet.

She faced the door after that and took a deep breath. She kicked it a few times before it flew off onto the walls outside. The three were lucky as there was no one guarding the room since they are in the basement and it would be weird for someone to be guarding the basement. Her breathing was getting ragged but she tried to control it. She didn't want to worry the two kids.

"Let's go," she called them.

She picked Aoi up and held Yui's hand as they rushed up to the lobby.

Mana peeked out of the lobby to find Stance and Misato. Aoi and Yui were excited to see their mother. Mana told them to keep quiet. Stance walked away and took an elevator. Mana whispered to them to rush to their mother.

"Get out of here immediately!" she shouted when Misota caught sight of her.

Yui picked Aoi up and rushed to their mother. Once they were reunited, Misato nodded to the scarlet haired.

"Your message bottle is in the highest floor of this hotel. The room number is 2000! Stay alive!" Misato whispered loud enough for the girl to hear.

Mana nodded. "Thank you! Hurry and get out of here!"

Aoi and Yui waved goodbye to her. The girl smiled to them. Then, she turned to the elevator. There was no telling who she would encounter but she would have to face them in order to get to that room. There might even be a chance that she would encounter her father. If that could happen, then she'd take the risk. She pressed the arrow facing upward and an elevator's door opened.

"I will…avenge Mommy…and…my dignity…" she vowed.

* * *

**So, what do you think...yeah, yeah, it shouldn't contain rape... But, this is rated T, so I did add it. Besides, I didn't detailed it anyway. I just wanted you guys to know that she was abused, leading her anger towards her father to fume even more...**


	27. The Help She Got

**Here it is! Part 27 of my long~ fic...man, I've been watching Amnesia, so I kinda forgot...**

* * *

Part 27: The Help She Got

Mana took the elevator and searched for the button for the highest floor. Unfortunately, the elevator from the lobby only ran up to half of the building. Then, she had to take a different elevator. The highest floor is floor 44. She obliged with it and pressed the button that had the number 22.

"I have to brace myself…just in case the elevator stops…" she mumbled.

She held her right hand with the left as it was trembling tremendously. She was scared, so scared that she felt as if she should kill anyone at sight. The elevator stopped at the 20 floor. The girl froze in place.

"Mommy~! Are we going to see Daddy?" a little boy about Yui's age called out.

"Yes, yes…" the Mommy replied.

They entered the elevator. Mana heaved a sigh of relieve as it was just a parent and her child. The woman glanced up at the girl once in awhile.

Floor 22 had been reached.

Mana stepped out and so did the other two people. She took another elevator on the opposite side of the building which could lead her to floor 44. The woman picked her son up and did the same. They were in the same elevator again.

"You can't be trying to find my darling Hitogoroshi, are you?" the woman started.

Mana widened her eyes. She shook her head slowly. She didn't know what to say but froze when the boy tugged on her skirt.

"Are you here to see Daddy?" he asked.

"Kurogane, don't bother her! Look at her! She's filthy! Don't dirty your hands by touching her!" the woman scolded her son.

Mana clenched her fist. She gave a small smile to the boy before he was pulled away by his mother. When they reached the 44th floor, the woman picked the boy up and rushed out. Mana stepped out slowly only to find two men, in suits, waiting for her. She backed away but the elevator was already closed.

"Your father told us to eliminate you on sight," one of the man said.

They were wearing masks for who knows what reason. They took out their guns and faced it towards her. Mana scowled. Since Killua and Gon were not with her, she had to deal this on her own. She didn't have to kill them because all she wanted was to avenge her mother, meaning to kill her father and he _is _the only one she would kill. As the men shot rapidly, Mana spun around, creating a mass of air. The air, combining with her Nen, acted as her barrier.

"What the?!" the other one exclaimed when he realized that they weren't killing her at all.

Mana used all her force to kick the man on her left. The other man grabbed her by the collar. She kicked him hard in the stomach but it wasn't enough to knock him down. She used her Hatsu to form a whip and planted some scars on him, before confirming that he was unconscious. She looked at the number of the first room on the floor: 999. The room she was after must be further in.

"Hey!" a man called out.

The girl didn't recognize him because he was wearing a mask too. She wondered why they all wore masks. The giant sword the man was wielding seemed familiar though.

"Hehehe…I haven't had enough fun with you yet…"

Upon hearing his voice again, it dawned to Mana who he was. She scowled immediately. She took her battle position. She cannot lose to this fiend, this rapist, Stance. She summoned all of her aura to be on guard of his giant sword.

"I won't hesitate to kill you this time!" she shouted, charging at him.

Stance tried to chop her with his sword but the girl jumped away on time and landed a kick on his back. The man slightly gasped, immediately fixed his posture and swung his sword at the girl. Mana dodged it, however it almost cut her face in half. A small cut landed on her left cheek instead. However, the girl didn't cringe in pain. She took the liberty to instantly heal the small wound when the man was busy picking up his sword. Stance chuckled as he swung his sword at her again. This time, she jumped away but it cut her skirt off. She flushed furiously, ashamed of herself.

"Hah! What'll you do now? Can't move because you lost something there?" the man mocked.

Mana clenched her fists, anger engulfed her. Stance plunged his sword into her direction. The man was surprised when she disappeared just as the sword was about to stab her. He looked around him, being on alert at all times. Mana crept behind him, using Zetsu.

"Looking for me?" she startled him.

Before he could turn around, the girl appeared in front of him and stabbed him right at his heart. Stance gasped as he watched his blood spurting out onto the girl's face and her tattered dress. She waited until he fell, dead on the floor.

"That's what you get for stealing my pride…" she growled.

The door beside her creaked opened. She froze in her place. She was stunned to see a woman peeking through the small space. Mana bowed to her, seeing that the woman was trembling.

"Who is it, honey?" a man's voice was heard.

"A girl, darling. It's a girl!" the woman exclaimed, bursting out of the room.

Mana looked at the number on the door: 1002. She stood still as the woman hugged her, as if she had seen a helpless little girl. Considering her state at that time, maybe that was what the woman saw in her.

"There, there…everything will be fine," she whispered to Mana.

A man, who happened to be the woman's husband, popped by the door. He stared down at Mana. The warmth of the woman's hands and body calmed the girl down. Before she realized it, she was trembling and tears started to trickle down her cheeks.

"E-Everything will be f-fine?" she sobbed.

The woman nodded as she kept on hugging her. "Yes, everything will be fine…"

She cried in the woman's arm. "Wahhhhhhhhhh!"

Mana was brought into the room. She didn't know why they helped her. The husband explained that they heard gun shots when they were watching a movie together. They were glad that it didn't wake their children up and at the same time, they were curious of who was creating such a riot. Once the gun shots ended, the woman told Mana that she opened the door and saw the girl fighting Stance. Once the fight died down, she peered out through the door again.

"It was rather shocking to find a girl, soaked in blood and full of scars…" the woman explained.

Mana didn't say anything, taking a cup of hot cocoa when the woman handed her one.

"By the way, you can call me Joe and this is my wife, Jannet. We came here to join the auction," the man explained.

"Apparently, we chose the wrong hotel. This hotel was rented by a very powerful man in business. It seems like he wants the hotel for himself. We got a new reservation somewhere else and we'll be moving tomorrow!" Jannet continued her husband's explanation.

They asked her would she tell them what happened but Mana only bit her lips, knowing that she couldn't just burst to them that the man they feared was her father. The couple understood her situation.

"I'll get you a new dress. Why don't you take a bath and rest here for a bit," Jannet suggested.

The girl gazed at her. "Can I really?" she hesitated.

"Sure! We can't let a girl get involve with such a riot!" Joe replied with a smile.

The girl's eyes welled up with tears. She was overjoyed and guilty at the same time. For once, she could rest but she was already involved in the riot or rather, she was the cause of it. The couple let Mana rest in their living room. The girl just hoped that none of her father's men found her here or the family would be in big trouble. She couldn't sleep at all.

* * *

Mana bit her lower lip as she faced a daughter, a son and twins of Jannet and Joe's. The daughter seemed to be the eldest and the son is the second child. They both have similar orange hair as their father but the daughter's was longer and she tied it into a pony tail while the son's was short and spiky. The twins are a girl and a boy; both had similar short bob brown hair like Jannet's.

"Who is she?" the daughter asked.

"Oh, she's a girl we found covered in blood last night," Jannet explained.

"Be nice now. We are leaving in an hour or so," Joe said to his children.

"Whatever…" the daughter muttered and went to take her seat at the dining table.

The son held out his hand to Mana. "The name's Etward."

"Mana…" the girl shook hands with him.

"We are…the mischievous twins, Leo and Lea!" the twins hummed.

"Come join us for breakfast," Jannet invited.

"Thank you…" the girl replied.

The twins hopped their way to the dining table while Etward was already there. Mana took a plate of bean sauce and she started to eat it with some breads. Her eyes were getting teary as she had wished to have such a family.

"Mana, was it?" Joe started.

"Y-Yes…" the girl stuttered.

Joe took a bit on his pancake. "Why are you here?" he asked.

The girl looked down at her food. "I was…kidnapped…"

"Kidnapped?!" the family roared in shock.

"Yes…I didn't know where I was, so I'm kind of lost now…" she lied.

The family pitied her but there was nothing they could do. Once they were done, they were all ready to leave the hotel.

"Are you sure you'll be fine?" Etward asked.

"Sure, I'm okay! Have fun in the new hotel!" Mana replied with a smile.

"Yes, we're glad we could be of help in some way…keep the dress…" Jannet muttered.

"Thank you very much! Thank you for everything!" the girl half sobbed.

She waved goodbye to them as they took the elevator to the lower levels. Mana stared down at her dress. It was a very simple white sleeveless dress with sakura petals as decorations. Guilt suddenly hit her again as she thought of her lies to them. Though, it was for their safety's sake.

"Now…I should head on…" she muttered.

* * *

"Hmm…by the way, where's Mana?" Leorio who had met up with Killua and Gon asked.

They were in the two boys' room, discussing about how to earn more money. Killua suck on his lollipop calmly. He refused to answer as he was quite pissed off.

"She did tag along, didn't she?" the man asked.

"She's in her room. She still wouldn't talk to us. We've been knocking on her door but she never answered…" Gon replied.

"Really? Are you sure she's in her room?" Leorio was in doubt.

Gon and Killua turned to each other. They never thought she wouldn't be there since she was the type to not go out without them.

"I'll go check…" Killua volunteered.

He walked out of the room and headed straight towards where Mana's room was. Once he was there, he took no time to call for her but turned the knob and pushed open the door instead. He stepped in.

"Hey…are you there?" he called out.

He searched under the bed, behind the cupboard but there was no sign of her. He sighed and dragged himself to bathroom, the last place he'd least expect her.

"Hey…I'm coming in…" he said, just in case she was naked at the time.

When he stepped in, there was no sound of water running. In fact, there was no sound at all! Killua widened his eyes when he realized that she was not in her room, just as Leorio had doubted. He rushed back to the bed to search for a clue of sort. Not even her Hunter license was seen. He rushed back to his room to tell the other two about it.

"Mana's missing!" he announced.

"What?!" Gon exclaimed.

"That is expected actually…she can't be coping in her room for two whole days," Leorio explained, looking at the two boys, "What'll you do?"

"Gon, you proceed with whatever you're planning with Leorio. I'll take the time to search for her," Killua suggested.

"But, I want to go to!" Gon protested.

"The plan won't work without you! You just…have to let it go…" the silver head replied.

Gon fisted his hands in silence. He turned to Killua with his angry eyes. He wants to save Mana too! He promised her after all. These were what the eyes trying to tell Killua. He took a deep breath to calm himself down.

"Be sure to bring her back…alive," the black haired said.

"Of course!" the ex-assassin replied.

He rushed out of the motel to start searching for her. Where could she have gone to? Why didn't she inform them? He couldn't care less about that. All he cared was that whether she was still alive or not. That girl hate killing and she wished to avoid fights as much as she could. What if she had bumped into her father?

Killua stopped at some stalls to ask the stall keeper whether they had seen a scarlet haired girl or not. All of the people he asked shook their heads. He stopped to take his breath. Killua gritted his teeth and punched the pole beside him. He was beyond angry for not noticing that she was not in her room. Frankly, he had missed her smile and her laugh as well as the way she would call him.

"Where are you…Mana?" he muttered, continuing his search.

* * *

**I think the title is off but I can't think of a better title. So, tell me what you think, kay?  
Opinions and constructive reviews are officially welcome!**


	28. A Father-Daughter Talk

**and at last! I finally got ideas for this freakin' hard chapter! My mind kept on thinking of ways how Killua would have barged into the room (spoiler alert!) In the end...I went the flow...and this is how it turned out! Hope you like it! Vulgar words exist!**

* * *

Part 28: A father-Daughter Talk

Footsteps and pants could be heard in the corridor of the highest floor of a certain hotel. It was the hotel chose by a parent to trap his beloved daughter. His main goal was to exterminate her from the world. Mana ran up to the 2000th room as fast as she could. Three men were chasing after her and she was getting tired of fighting, even resulting into killing some of them. She had had enough!

"I don't wanna kill anymore!" she screamed.

She could see the door and she was close to the knob when out of nowhere, she was pulled by the men that were chasing her. She was pushed down onto the floor hard. She gasped as one of them held her hands above her head. She thrashed around.

"Let me go!" she screamed.

"Good for you to say that you're tired of killing! HAHAHAHAHA!" a familiar voice laughed.

Her eyes widened as right in front of her was the man she was after. The man smirked down at her. She tried to get up but the grip was unbreakable.

"Do what you want with her, but I want you to turn her in alive," he stated.

"Yes, Sir!" the three obeyed.

Mana's father stepped out of her view and into the room numbered 2000. It was right in front of her and she struggled to reach for the knob. The men were too strong for her. She was too exhausted to release her aura and so, she couldn't fight back at all. Her dress was in tatters again and it was a gift too. How devastated she was.

"S-Save me…" she sobbed before falling into oblivion.

* * *

Killua ran around aimlessly searching for his clingy but selfish servant. He came across Gon and Leorio who was busy calling people to have a challenge with Gon to win a diamond ring. He sighed and made an apologetic face to his best friend as he couldn't help at the time. He continued his search after that brief apology.

"Where could she be…!" he shouted, punching another pole.

His right hand was getting numb from all the punching.

"Mommy…I'm shcared…" a boy said in a stutter.

Killua turned to where the voice came from. He saw a little girl, holding a hand of a younger boy than her. Right behind them stood a familiar woman. Somehow, to him, she looked sort of familiar.

"Don't bother him now, Aoi…" the woman said.

When she turned to look at Killua, her eyes went wide. She observed him from head to toe and somehow knew who he was.

"You're…" she started.

Killua half scowled as it has dawned to him where he had seen her. "You're the one who Mana had to fight at the arena!" the boy exclaimed.

"Are you, by any chance, searching for her?" the woman asked.

The silver haired didn't say anything. He was beyond angry to have found Mana's enemy. The boy was distracted when Aoi pulled at his pants. He shifted his gaze to little boy. Yui went up to him too.

"Are you Sis Mana's friend?" the brown haired girl asked.

Killua was quite flabbergasted at her question. He was going to ask why did she ask that when the woman started talking.

"I'm really sorry…I'm Misato. I've just ran away from where Miss Mana is," the woman explained herself.

"Ran away? Why?!" the twelve-year-old demanded.

Misato hesitated to tell him everything. She was afraid to get involved as she had just fled; thinking that her Boss might come searching for her if she did say too much. She bit her lip, turning her gaze away from him.

"Sis Mana was captured!" Yui started as Aoi nodded.

Killua gazed at the little girl in front of him. She told him everything: how Mana got in the room with her and Aoi, how she was not given anything to eat, how she helped them escape and somewhat a child way of explaining she was raped. The boy widened his eyes at her last part of the story.

He scowled and held his fists tight. "Where is this hotel of his?" he half growled.

The woman could see his expression but she was aware that he was beyond angry. Yui and Aoi backed away as they were scared at his expression.

"Head north, until you see a tall building painted in white and blue. You will find her in the highest floor. Please…save her…" Misato said, trembling.

"Shish Mana's reawly nice…" Aoi said. (Sis Mana's really nice…)

"Her name is Mana Nikumenai after all…" Killua sighed.

"She's very lovable, suiting with her name. Please, I don't want her to die! I…she helped my children escape!" the woman fell to her knees in tears.

She regretted for not helping Mana, for leaving her and for not warning her of what was going to happen once she met her father.

"I'll save her…" Killua muttered. "Thanks for the information and…be safe…"

He ran north towards where Misato had pointed with hope that Mana was perfectly fine.

* * *

Mana was chained up in her father's room, naked. Her father was enjoying the view as she brought her legs together to cover her lower body. Tears were falling from her eyes, nonstop. She was humiliated and was ashamed of herself.

"Aww…please stop crying…" her father mocked her.

"W-Why are you doing this…?" she sobbed.

The man spat at her face. "I think we should have a talk…a father and daughter talk," he said, smirking even wider.

Mana widened her eyes at the sight of a woman and a little boy coming out of the room on her father's left. They were the ones she met in the elevator. The woman couldn't believe that Mana was chained naked in front of her. She recognized the girl too.

"You're that girl!" she pointed an accusing finger at Mana.

"He's m-my father…" she stuttered to the woman, looking away from her gaze.

The woman backed away in disbelief. Her son, Kurogane didn't understand a thing. All he did was stared at the naked girl, wondering why she was in that state.

His father who was also Mana's took out a whip. "Now, will you two please leave," he half growled.

Mana widened her eyes at the whip. The woman refused to leave and so, her husband raised the hand that was holding the whip.

"W-Wait!" she called out and all eyes were on her. "Don't hurt them! Don't you love them?!"

Her father stepped closer to her. "I don't…" he started, raising the whip in front of her. "I loved your mother!"

A hit landed on her right cheek. She cringed in pain but she didn't scream. The woman watched in shock. She froze at her place with her son behind her. She couldn't stop as her husband landed another hit on Mana's face.

"P-Please…" she heard the girl muttered.

Turning to her, she could see how much pain she was enduring to get up to this situation. She could also see how much the girl would endure even more for the sake of what she was seeking.

"R-Run…b-before…you e-ended up…l-like my mother…" the girl muttered.

The woman, unable to see Mana in that state, picked up her child and fled immediately. Her father was in rage and he threw it all at Mana, hitting her everywhere.

"Why did y-you kill h-her if you l-love her?" the girl demanded, spitting some blood out of her mouth.

Hitogoroshi stopped hitting her, turned his back towards her and told the whole story, "I didn't know she was killed. It wasn't exactly my order and I didn't realize it was an order. That woman is my third wife. The one who asked your mother to be killed was my second wife. She was madly in love with me and forced me into marrying her after she helped to settle my debts."

"How did she fool you?" the girl asked, catching her breath.

"She told me she loved me and asked me to sign some letters. There was one on killing every one of my old family members. The, she made a request for me to bring you and Rilliane to Heavens Arena too. I didn't realize that she was trying to separate me from your mother you…" the father continued.

Mana continued to listen. He told her how he had gotten himself into so many debts that he was worried Mana and her mother would be dragged into them too. He added how he had cried when her mother died and believed that she was killed too. He resulted into killing his second wife. He explained to her that he wanted to repent after that. Mana saw a glimpse of something shining in his hand. The whip was already on the floor.

"But…" he turned back to face her with a knife in his hand. "I love killing! I didn't know that it was so much fun just to rip people off of their lives!"

"No way…!" Mana was in disbelief.

All of his pains had turned him into a killer. She couldn't believe the sight in front of her. He put the knife at her left shoulder and pierced it slightly. She gasped, realizing what would come next.

"When I found out you are alive…I thought that I should kill you immediately, so that you won't come find me. Then again, I thought of torturing you before meeting you and kill you in the process! I wanted you to know how painful it is if we were driven by revenge. Hah! You fell for everything! You're so stupid!" he ran the knife down to her wrist.

Mana trembled as she was too weak to do anything.

"It's not fair that you get to live happily when I'm suffering…" the man muttered, bringing the knife up to her other shoulder.

She shut her eyes and tried her best to endure the unbearable pain. Miraculously, she heard noises of people groaning in pain. Havoc had begun outside the room she was in, distracting her father.

"Argh…what is going on out there?!" he stormed to the door.

Before he could even reach for the knob, the door flung open and a familiar silver haired boy stood with his right hand stained in blood. His eyes was the eyes of a very pissed off guy.

"You…are you Mana's father?" he growled.

"K-Killua?" the girl recognized him immediately.

"Mana? Mana! Stay there! I'll get to y…argh!" he was shoved to the walls behind him by Hitogoroshi.

Killua didn't cringe in pain at all. The man had wide eyes, showing his addiction into killing, beating Killua in that. His glare pierced into the boy's eyes but of course it didn't scare him at all. Seeing that, the man stabbed the boy hard in his stomach yet the boy didn't groan.

"Mana…I'm sorry…" he muttered.

Mana's eyes widened when a beating heart rolled over to her. In a few seconds, the heart stopped beating. She was so scared that she burst into tears. But, she stopped when her father instantly died. Killua pulled the knife out of his stomach as the man fell onto the floor. Throwing it to his side, he dragged himself to Mana. He was trying hard not to look at her naked body while pulling her off from the chains. They collapsed on the floor after that, Killua lying on it and Mana sitting while holding his hand.

"I forgive you…thank you for killing him…" she sobbed.

"Y-You're wounded…" he said, noticing the cut on her shoulder.

The girl forced a smile, "So are you... I'm sorry…"

Killua smiled. "T-That's okay…"

Mana put her rested her cheek on his hand, the one she was holding. She was happy that he was smiling to her. However, she couldn't help but felt worried as well because he was stabbed. She tried her best to release her aura that was enough to heal the both of them.

* * *

"Right now, we have a 3 000 000 diamond and 2 400 000 Jenny in cash. We also have the 2 750 000 Jenny from the arm wrestling…" Leorio stated to Gon.

They were back at the motel, counting the cash they had at the time. He explained to Gon the real reason of the arm wrestling. It was to lure them to an easier way of earning cash. Gon nodded to everything he was saying but the boy wasn't really listening. His mind was thinking about what was Killua doing and where Mana had gone to.

"Killua sure is late…" he mumbled.

Leorio stopped his explanation. "Huh? Now that you think about it…you're right!"

"I hope they're alright…" the boy was really worried.

"He's Killua and she's Mana…they'll be alright!" the man was being positive.

By that time, the door slammed open and Gon jumped out of surprise. A black haired woman rushed to them with a panicked face. She was full of sweat, struggling to catch her breath. Gon and Leorio didn't actually recognize her.

"Who are you?" the black haired man demanded.

"M-Mana…and K-Killua…" the woman burst.

Gon widened his eyes. He turned to Leorio who was also wearing a shocked expression. Both of them were thinking of the same thing. What happened to the two?

* * *

**I left a cliffhanger~! Hehehe...at first, I thought of continuing a bit more...then, I think I should give you guys a little cliffhanger since I need to focus on two of my other fanfictions that had been neglected for a few weeks...  
****Yeah, I need to focus on that...**

**Tell me what you think, 'kay?**


	29. The Message Bottle

**Ahhhhhhh...this might be the shortest of the shortest chapter! I'm so sorry!**

Part 29: The Message Bottle

A few minutes before searching for Gon and Leorio, Misato sat on a chair beside the bed where a certain silver haired boy lied. He was still unconscious even though the doctor had found nothing wrong with him. She was in the hospital where she had taken Mana and Killua to with her son and daughter's help. She was waiting for the boy to wake up.

"Boy…please wake up soon…" she whispered.

In her right hand was a piece of paper folded into the smallest fold. She was able to grab it in the middle of rescuing the two. However, the bottle had been broken by Hitogoroshi. She had hoped to hand the message to Killua and to ask him to say goodbye to Mana for her.

* * *

Killua's eyes fluttered open and he sat up immediately. He cringed as his head felt a sudden stab. Gon and Leorio were beside him at the time.

He turned to them and asked, "What had happened?"

Gon and Leorio stared at each other before explaining the situation. Misato had left for Whale Island in hope that Mito, Gon's aunt would give she and her children shelter until she found a comfortable place to live in. it was Gon who suggested that as he knew his aunt would never turn anyone in need of her help. Gon also told Killua that she was the one who brought him and also, Leorio to see the silver haired.

"You've been unconscious for a few days…" Gon finished his explanation.

"What about Mana?" Killua asked.

"Mana…the doctor said…" Gon glanced up at Leorio who nodded slowly in return. "The doctor said that she is still unstable, but he said he could save her! All she need was a long rest…and some blood," the black haired boy explained.

"Yes, I went to check up on her myself. She had been releasing too much aura. So, like the doctor said, she needs a long undisturbed rest," Leorio reassured the two.

"I see…" the silver haired sighed.

He suddenly felt a paper in his hand. It was in a small fold that would definitely fit inside a message bottle. So, he assumed that it was what Mana was actually trying to retrieve.

"The doctor who is tending said that who can be discharged once you're awake. I'll go tell him…" Gon explained.

After getting a thorough check up, Killua changed into a tank top and a pair of short pants. Gon and Leorio waited for him at the hospital's entrance. He decided to see how Mana was doing. He went to a nurse and asked for her ward's number. When he got there, he was relieved of what he was seeing. The girl seemed to be fast asleep instead of what he was hearing.

"Maybe she was physically stable…" he mumbled as he pushed open the door and entered the ward.

There he was standing beside the girl's bed and staring at her bruised face. He felt somewhat guilty as she was the one who got hurt the most though he was the one who went to rescue her.

"Guess I didn't succeed in rescuing you. I'm sorry…" he whispered.

He remembered the message from the bottle. He stared down at the small folded piece of paper. Knowing what he was about to do was wrong; he turned his back to her. He slowly unfolded the paper and started reading it. From the look on his face, it can be seen that he didn't like what he was reading. The message had brought his feelings towards her to a new level.

"No way…I can't believe this!" he muttered, staring at the paper.

His eyes widened to the extent that they weren't blinking at all. He was beyond shocked of what the letter said. He slowly folded the paper back and slipped it into his right pocket, bearing in mind that he should buy her a new bottle to put the message in. Then, he gazed at the sleeping girl.

"Mana…I'm so sorry…" he muttered, inching his face closer to her.

Their lips were only a breath away…

* * *

Killua exited the hospital where Gon and Leorio stood waiting for him. The black haired boy was delighted to see his best friend up and about.

"What took you so long?" Leorio asked.

"The doctor asked me some details about Mana," Killua lied.

Gon stared at his smiling friend. "Will you tell us what happened?"

The silver haired glanced up at him. "I will…but first, let's continue with our plan to make more money!"

"I guess Killua's right. We should wait Mana to wake up first," the soon-to-be doctor suggested.

Gon and Killua nodded to his suggestion. They went to the market where many stalls stood. The first thing Killua searched for was a message bottle. He found one and it was a locket too, but it was a heart shaped one.

"Are you buying that to replace Mana's broken one?" Gon asked.

"Yeah. How did you know?" the boy replied.

Gon smiled to him and explained, "Misato-san filled me in with some details. The message bottle broke because Mana's father was outraged that the message doesn't contain what he wanted to know. She also told me how Mana had saved her two children…"

Killua was worried that Gon had known about the rape part but it seemed like Misato really didn't want anyone to know. It was after all Yui who told him about Mana losing her virginity.

"Did she tell you anything else?" he asked.

The blacked haired boy shook his head. "She did say she was confused at how you managed to kill Hitogoroshi…"

Killua nodded. He bid for the heart-shaped message bottle. Deep down, he knew that Mana might not like it but what choice do she has. What bothered him the most was how they were going to obtain enough money to buy the game Greed Island.

"Still…this message is too…" he mumbled.

Gon turned to his friend. "Did you say something?" he asked.

Killua quickly shook his head. "No, nothing. Anyway…are you sure we're going on this bounty hunt?" he changed the topic, reading the paper that Gon had given him.

It was a paper with some faces of members from the Spider Troupe.

"We have no choice if we want to get money faster," Leorio interrupted.

Killua stared at him and sighed. He muttered, "I guess…"

**Andddddddddddd done! I'm so sorry that it's too short to satisfy you! Since Mana is unconscious, I can't continue the story just yet...  
Besides, I have more fics to look after!**

**Anyways, thank you all for the reviews you've given me and keep on reviewing!**


	30. The Kiss

**Finally! Hehehe...I felt good after writing this one. I'm kind of satisfied though I kept repeating the same pattern of writing, sorry about that. Anyway, the poll is still running! Go go! Because I really think...never mind, after you knew what the message said, you'll understand what I meant.**

**For now, just enjoy reading it!**

* * *

Part 30: The Kiss

Mana rubbed her eyes as she observed her surroundings. She was definitely in a hospital. However, she didn't know who sent her. She suddenly noticed the bandage wrapped around her and blushed furiously as she was only covered in it. She wasn't wearing anything! She called for a nurse.

"I demand an explanation!" she said.

"It was hard to put on clothes as you were covered mostly in bruises. We were afraid that we might cause them to bleed gain. So, the doctor told us to wrap you with bandages and let you sleep," the nurse that came in explained.

Mana puffed her cheeks. "I've been sleeping naked for days?" she asked.

"Umm…yes…" the nurse muttered.

The girl's eyes widened in anger. She was worried that her friends might have seen her like that. She blushed even more. Then, she remembered something more important.

"By the way, who sent me here?" she asked the panicked.

"A woman by the name Misato. She was with two little children. She brought you with a boy who was already discharged from the hospital a few days ago," the nurse replied.

Mana nodded as she understood who the nurse met. "Wait, the boy was already discharged?!" she exclaimed.

The nurse panicked a bit. "Y-Yes…why? He told us to not wake you up and to let you rest."

Mana nodded again. She asked the nurse whether she could wear clothes or not. The nurse gave her a dress to wear, explaining that it was sent by a black haired boy. She knew it was Gon. Then, she was given her lunch to eat. Once she was done, she lied on her bed and tried to get some rest. What she did was actually worrying that those boys had seen her.

"Miss Mana, you have some guests," the same nurse announced after pushing open the door.

She told the guests to come in. Mana was happy as she thought it was Killua as well as Gon. When the guests entered, she was shocked to see who they were. However, she didn't frown. Her face was expressionless.

The woman bowed. She was carrying a boy in her arms. It was her second step-mother and her step-brother. Mana wasn't that delighted to see her, but she wasn't angry either.

"I'm really sorry about what had happened," the woman, who goes by the name Anne, apologized.

"It's alright. I don't really think it's your fault. I'm the one who chose to go there on my own…or rather, he forced me there," Mana giggled a bit.

"You have a very caring friend. I saw him rushing to the lobby, asking where you are," Anne stated.

Mana sighed, smiled to her and nodded. "I'm lucky to have him…" she replied, turning to Kurogane, "Can I ask you a question?"

The woman turned to look at Mana. "Hmm?" she was ready to listen.

Gazing at Kurogane who was holding up his hands to her, she asked, "Is he…father's son?"

Anne smiled. She picked the boy up and put him carefully on Mana's lap. "He's actually not Hitogoroshi's son. Hitogoroshi had never slept with me. He only married me for my wealth. Too bad for me, I saw his true colors after I married him."

"Did he…hurt him?" Mana asked more.

She saw the woman shaking her head. "He cared for Kurogane deeply, like he is really his flesh and blood."

"Why are you here?" the girl suddenly asked.

"Oh! I came here to apologize and to thank you. With him dead, I'm free again. My wealth belongs to me again," Anne smiled.

Mana smiled to the woman who was about to cry. She was happy for her too and for Kurogane who didn't understand anything that had happened.

"Mana, I know that we're not related or that we're not related at all, but if there's anything I can do for you, just say it," Anne muttered, putting Mana's hands in hers.

"Anything at all, huh…" Mana mumbled.

Anne nodded. Mana watched Kurogane playing with her hairpin. He looked really innocent and cute. She glanced up the hands that were holding hers. They felt warm, very warm. It had been awhile since she felt that way. She didn't realize that she was crying. Anne panicked when she saw tears streaming down Mana's face. Did she say something wrong?

"Hey, what's wrong?" Anne asked in a concerned tone.

Mana wiped her dreadful tears. "I-I've never f-felt this warmness for s-such a long t-time. I g-guess that's w-what I miss s-so v-very m-much…" she sobbed.

Anne was stunned at her words. She understood that the girl missed her mother dearly. She smiled softly and sat closer to the crying girl. She wrapped her arms around her shoulders and pulled her into an embrace. Mana cried even more.

"There, there…everything will be fine…" Anne soothed her.

Kurogane didn't understand why Mana was crying, but he hugged her too. "Big Shish…don't cry…" he muttered.

"B-Big Sis?" Mana was surprised at what he called her.

She smiled in her tears, happy that he acknowledged her as a sister. She hugged him and soon her cries died down.

"Thank you…" Mana said to Anne.

"So, what is your request?" Anne asked.

Mana looked at the woman. "C-Can I call you, 'Mom'?"

Anne froze at her seat. She didn't know how to react at her request. It was somehow a quest that she was afraid she couldn't fulfill. She was happy that Mana wished to call her that but she didn't know Mana that well yet.

"Well?" the girl asked.

Anne took a deep breath. She knew that she shouldn't say know as she was married to Mana's father. She nodded to her. Mana's face brightened up. She was delighted with the reply.

"Thank you! Mom!" Mana hugged Anne.

"Yay! Kuwo hash a shishter!" Kurogane exclaimed, as if he understood everything.

Anne smiled at the two. Mana played with Kurogane for the rest of the day. When night came, the boy had already fallen asleep beside Mana. Anne was satisfied at how active and happy he was that day.

"I'll come again tomorrow. I'm sure Kuro will love it too," Anne told the girl.

"Uh, I'll be discharged tomorrow, Mom," Mana replied.

"Oh, already?" the woman asked. Then she smiled, saying, "Then, you can come back to the hotel."

Mana gave out a small smile. She wanted to go back to the motel to see Killua and Gon.

"Actually…" her words were interrupted by the sound of the door being pushed.

Anne and Mana turned to the two familiar boys. They were Killua and Gon. Gon was smiling as always and Killua was acting cool.

"Hi, guys!" Mana called out.

"Hi, Mana. Who's she?" Gon replied and asked.

"She's my Mom, step-mother," the girl said.

Killua recognized the woman and Anne bowed to him. She thanked her for her help too. He explained to Gon that apart from Misato, Anne had helped her too.

"You said she's your Mom. Are you going home with her?" Gon asked.

Mana kept quiet. Noticing that, Anne answered for her, "She's going with the both of you. Now that I'm her mother, I let her go anywhere as long as you two are with her. She can always pay me a visit."

"Really, Mom?" Mana asked.

"Yes, only if you promise me that you will come and visit," Anne replied.

Mana nodded happily. "Hmm! I promise!"

Anne picked Kurogane up and exited the ward. Gon announced that he would go and tell the doctor that Mana was ready to leave.

"Is that okay? I was supposed to be discharged tomorrow," Mana asked, worried.

"It's okay. The doctor would examine you and see if you could be discharged or not," Gon explained.

Killua nodded with a small smile. The black haired boy left the room with a happy face. Mana somehow felt uneasy that she was left alone with Killua. The boy acted slumber, making the girl even more nervous.

After a brief moment of silence, she called out to the boy, "K-Killua…"

"Hmm?" the boy turned to her, his hands in his pockets as always.

"T-Thank you for saving me…and also, for c-calling my name," the girl muttered.

"Huh?" he was confused at the last part of her sentence.

Mana looked at him with a nervous look. "T-That was the f-first time...you h-had called me b-by my name… You c-called me, 'Mana'," she stuttered.

Killua didn't realize that. He also didn't realize that he was approaching her. Mana froze in her bed, not knowing what to do. She blushed furiously when his face was a breath away from her. She could feel his breath on her upper lip.

"Can I kiss you…?" she heard him mumbled.

"Huh?" she replied in shock.

Her eyes widened when their lips touched. She blushed to the extent that her face was redder than a tomato. She tried to push him away but his right hand was holding her chin while his left hand was pulling at her waist. She was pulled closer and closer to him. They didn't know that a certain black haired boy was watching through the small glass window at the door. The boy was clenching his fists tightly; angry at what his best friend was doing to the girl he likes.

"K-Killua…" Mana muttered when they parted.

The silver haired widened his eyes when he realized what he just did. He was speechless too as he did it unintentionally. He backed away a bit.

"S-Sorry…" he mumbled.

Mana's gaze was fixed at her hands on her lap. She didn't know what to reply, so she just shook her head slowly. Killua suddenly remembered the message bottle in his pocket. He pulled it out and showed it the now confused Mana. He explained that he message bottle shattered to pieces but the message was saved by Misato.

"So, I bought you a new one," he ended his explanation.

"T-Thank you…" Mana said, taking the new message bottle.

Gon came in with the doctor.

"Now, I'll do a thorough check on you and see whether you can leave now or not," the female doctor explained.

"Ok," the girl replied, putting on the necklace.

The doctor turned to the two boys. "I prefer you two to wait outside. She needs to take of her dress," she explained.

"T-Take off her dress?!" Gon exclaimed.

"Don't worry…I'm a female doctor, so it's fine," the doctor reassured him.

Gon blushed furiously before rushing out of the ward. Killua stared at Mana and then, exited the ward too. The doctor told Mana to take off her dress so that she could check Mana's bruises.

"Hey, Killua…" Gon called out to the boy who was leaning against the wall.

"Hmm?" Killua replied, shifting his gaze to him.

"I…I really like Mana," Gon confessed.

Killua was surprised but he hid that fact and sighed. "I see. So, have you told her?" he asked instead.

"Yes, I did. I told her at Heavens Arena. She didn't give me a reply, but I'm really serious about her!" the black haired explained.

"It's hard to see you so serious… I guess when it comes to feelings, everyone is…" Killua smiled at his best friend.

Gon turned his back to Killua and clenched his fists. "I want to tell her that again. Do you have any objection?" he asked without looking at Killua.

The silver haired was quite shocked at what Gon asked him. He knew that Gon is a considerate person but not this much. Plus, he didn't know whether he likes Mana as much as Gon does or not. He only considered her and saw her as his servant-to-be. However, when Gon asked him that, he couldn't help but felt that he might like this girl.

Slipping his hands into his pockets, he replied, "No, not at all. Go ahead. I'll watch my best friends' back till the end. That is what I will do."

Gon smiled to him though he was full of doubts. He didn't know whether Killua was lying or not. They heard the door being pulled open. The two fixed their posture and greeted the doctor and Mana.

"She can be discharged today, but she still needs her rest and don't make her worry about anything. That'll cause her to lose lots of energy," the doctor explained.

"Okay, thanks," Gon replied and nodded.

The doctor nodded to them. The three bid farewell and started their walk out off the hospital.

"So, where are we going?" Mana asked.

"We're going back to the motel. We'll be seeing Kurapika tomorrow," Killua replied.

Mana was delighted to hear that. "Kurapika? How's he doing?" she asked.

"Great I guess. We were finally able to contact him just now," Gon explained.

"Oh, I see," Mana said.

"We already told Leorio that you'd be coming back to the motel," the black haired stated.

The girl nodded. "I wish to stay in my own room," she requested.

Gon and Killua looked at each other before turning to look at her.

"You sure?" Killua asked.

"We're worried about you, you know…" Gon muttered.

Mana played with the end of her dress. Glancing up at Killua, she blushed. She bit her lower lip and nodded slowly. Gon noticed her faint blush. He couldn't help but frown because he didn't like how she was acting after the kiss. Judging by the way Killua pulled back, he was sure that Killua kissed her without realizing it.

"I'll come by first thing tomorrow to see how you're doing," he said to the girl.

Mana gazed into Gon's eyes. She knew that Gon was full of questions to ask her but he had no heart to ask. Did he witness them kissing?

"Well?" Gon asked.

"Okay, knock first tomorrow," the girl replied.

They reached their motel. Killua volunteered to send Mana to her room. Gon didn't say anything as he was tired. He said goodbye, half glared at Killua and walked back to the room he shared with his best friend.

Staring at the girl, Killua said, "Come on, I'm not gonna kiss you again…"

Mana puffed her cheeks. "I didn't say you would…" she muttered.

Killua gave out a small smile. He started walking up the path to her room. Mana was right behind him. Awkward silence was in the air, at least, to Mana that is.

"Killua…" she called out in a low voice.

"What?" Killua replied.

Mana looked to her right and the, to Killua. All she could see was his back which was facing her.

"Am I a burden to you and Gon?" she asked.

Killua stopped abruptly, causing the girl to bump into his back. She rubbed her nose, staring at him.

"I don't think so. Gon seems to care deeply for you," she heard him said.

"Really?" she asked.

The boy nodded once. Then, he started walking again. Mana rushed to follow him. He didn't say a word after that, making Mana really confused. They soon arrived at Mana's room.

"Thank you for accompanying me…" she smiled to him.

Killua was stunned to see the smile. He froze right in front of her. Mana blinked at him as he wasn't moving at all. She inched he face closer to his. Before she could react, Killua placed his lips on hers again. He was locking her in place by pulling her waist. Mana tried pushing him away but he was far stronger than her.

Pulling away, he stared at the blushing girl. "This might be the last time I could feel your soft lips…" he told her.

"What?" she was shocked.

"I might not be able to be with you anymore…I don't want to betray Gon. Please, care for him instead," Killua said.

"What are you saying?!" the girl was even more shocked.

Without answering her question, he turned around. Ignoring her calls for him, he strolled back to his room. Somehow, he felt a heavy weight in his heart and he didn't know what it was.

"Welcome back," Gon greeted his best friend.

"Yeah…" the silver haired replied.

"Hey, you look kind of down," Leorio said to him.

"I'm fine. I'm just tired, need some rest," Killua replied as he lied on bed.

Gon noticed his sudden change of mood. From that, he knew that something had happened when he was accompanying Mana to her room. Even though it was him who asked his best friend to do so, he was still a bit jealous.

* * *

Mana lied in her bed, thinking about what Killua had said to her. She was confused at why he did that. Did Gon say something to him? Did Gon find out about the kiss? She kept on wondering why and ended up sleeping after midnight.

**So? How did it turned out? I know I rushed it a bit but Killua is mature for his age, I'm sure he could do that.**


	31. Resolve

**Andddddd here's the 31st chapter! Seriously, I don't think the title fits, but I have nothing in my head. This is mainly about the part where they help Kurapika in his mission to capture Pakunoda though I skipped some parts.**

Part 31: Resolve

Mana tied her hair into a pony tail. She was delighted at the thought of seeing Kurapika again as she wondered how he was doing. She wore a pink dress which had a ribbon around the waist. Then, she put on her white socks and pink sandals. Coincidently after that, there was a knock on her door.

"Coming!" she called out.

It was Gon and Killua. She beamed to them and greeted them as usual. Gon was glad at how fast the bruises on her face healed.

"Oh, I used my own Nen on it," the girl explained.

Killua was a bit surprised. "Are you sure you should be releasing aura, considering that you were just discharged last night?" he asked.

"Hmm? I don't feel that fatigued, so I think I can use it moderately," she gave her opinion.

Gon smiled and nodded. He said, "As long as you don't tire yourself out, Mana."

She nodded. Glancing up at Killua, she faintly blushed. However, the silver haired acted calm as if he had already forgotten about what he did to her before he went back to his room.

"Let's go," Gon said.

"Where are we meeting him?" the girl asked, confused as they were at a fast food restaurant.

"You'll see..." the black haired replied.

He and Killua entered the restaurant and bought a bunch of food which Mana wished not to know about.

* * *

The scarlet haired girl sighed at what was laid in front of her. There were hot dogs, a bucket of drumsticks, a box of nuggets, a box of doughnuts, a small box of fries, a burger, a piece of pizza, a piece of pie and three glasses of soda. Killua and Gon's eyes were shining as they stared at the food in front of them. They were at the park, the venue they promised to meet Kurapika.

"Mana, what would you like to eat?" Gon asked the girl.

Mana turned to him. "I'll take the burger," she replied.

"Well then, can you be our referee?" Killua requested.

The girl nodded slowly. "On my count…start!" she shouted.

The two boys started to stuff the food into the mouth to see who can eat the most. Mana was quite amazed and somewhat scared of their intense rivalry aura. Footsteps were faintly heard behind Killua. On was the first to notice that Kurapika had arrived. He shouted the older boy's name and spurted out of his mouth, onto Killua's face. The silver haired was a bit irritated. Mana quickly took out her handkerchief to wipe his face. Gon went after Kurapika.

"Isn't it great?" he suddenly said.

"Huh?" Kurapika was confused.

Gon smiled and explained, "The spiders are dead. Now, you can focus on your mine goal. You have to find the eyes of your people."

Kurapika was overwhelmed at how optimistic the boy was. "Gon…" he muttered.

The black haired nodded. "If there's anything we can help you with…"

His words were interrupted when Killua suddenly appeared behind him and pasted a pie right onto his face. Mana walked up to Kurapika once the two started chasing and throwing pies at each other. She noticed that Kurapika was laughing again.

"Hello, it's been awhile," she greeted him with her hands behind her back.

Kurapika noticed the long scar on her left arm. She didn't try to hide it at all, though she wasn't proud of it too. The blond ignored it and smiled to her.

"It has been awhile indeed. I'm glad you're doing fine," he replied her greet.

Mana beamed and nodded. Gon rushed up to them after he was out of food to throw at Killua. He told Kurapika that he should give Leorio a call. Kurapika nodded and dialed Leorio's number. While he was talking to the said guy, Mana was wiping Gon's face and head. Killua wiped himself off of the food. Once they were all ready, they headed to the motel. They waited for Leorio at the lobby. When they were all gathered, they looked at each other.

"It has been awhile since we were all together!" Gon exclaimed.

Killua was already sucking on a lollipop. Leorio agreed to Gon's statement. They walked up to the elevator. Gon asked about Zepile, a man they met during the time they were finding things that were made by Geniuses. The man helped them in selling their purchase. Leorio told them where he went.

Then, he stared at Kurapika. "You've got this intensity about you… You seem a little more intimidating now…" he said to the blond.

Kurapika blinked at him. "Really? You don't seem to have changed much," he replied.

Leorio was irritated, shouting, "You're more annoying too!"

Mana giggled a bit. When the elevator's door opened, they all went in. Leorio asked about how Kurapika was able to kill a member of the Troupe as he had just recently finished his Nen training. Kurapika simply replied that if they were looking for advice to capture the Troupe, they shouldn't be asking him.

"That's not the only reason. We want to master Nen because we'll definitely need Nen in the future," Gon spoke up.

Kurapika looked at Gon but then looked away from the boy. He opened his mouth, "Then you don't want my advice. It won't do you any good."

Gon asked why while Mana nodded. The blond explained that his power can only be used against the Troupe. Mana widened her eyes at what she heard.

"Restraint and vow, huh?" the girl asked Kurapika.

"You knew about it?" he asked back.

Mana nodded. "Mother used that method, saying that she didn't want to cause anyone any harm. But, I don't know what she exchanged it with," the girl explained.

They soon reached Gon and Killua's room. All of them took a seat: Leorio took a chair, Kurapika sat on a single sofa, Killua and Gon sat on the double sofa while Mana sat on the sofa's armrest, beside Gon. Gon asked to explain about what Mana had just said. The blond nodded, releasing his aura and forming his chains.

"Nen is strongly affected by your mental state. The stronger you resolve, the more power you receive," he started. "However, you also incur a big risk at the same time. In return for Nen power, I vowed to use it against the spider alone."

"What is your rule?" Mana asked, getting a nod from Leorio.

"If I use my chains on one who isn't a spider, I will forfeit my life," Kurapika calmly replied.

Killua, Gon and Mana were shocked. The girl must have been the most shocked one. She trembled at the thought of losing life so easily. Gon noticed her change of behavior. She suddenly stood up and excused herself.

"What's wrong with her?" Leorio asked.

"I think I know why…" Killua muttered.

"But, let's leave her at that. Anyway, Kurapika, please continue," Gon interrupted at what the silver haired was going to say.

* * *

Mana wandered around the café beside the lobby of the motel. She kicked the dust in the air.

"Why it is so easy for them to take life for granted?" she muttered.

The memory of witnessing Killua killing for no reason during the Hunter Exam flashed into her mind and also, the memory of her father dying in his hands too. She somewhat felt sad that he died. It wasn't really his fault but it was his despair that had turned him that way. If she had been with him, could she have changed him?

"Father… Mother… What should I do now?" she mumbled.

Having herself in deep thoughts, she didn't realize that she bumped into Kurapika. He was busy discussing something with Leorio.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she apologized.

"Ah, it's you. Where have you been?" Kurapika asked.

Mana forced a smile to him. "I went out to get some air. Then, it started raining. I wandered around here, thinking that I should have a drink of something," she explained.

Leorio and Kurapika smiled to her. The blond suddenly remembered something. He took out a cherry blossom hairpin. Mana's eyes shone as she gazed at the hairpin. It was placed in her right hand.

"Is it really for me?" she asked.

"Yes, I thought it will look good on you," Kurapika replied with a smile.

He felt a sudden chill on his back. It seemed like some people were jealous of him giving the girl a present. Gon and Killua appeared. They decided to help Kurapika with the Troupe.

"Let's come up with a plan," Kurapika said.

Mana was the only one who noticed how surprised Killua was when Kurapika accepted Gon's offer to help stop the Troupe. She didn't know whether Killua wanted to help or not. They started discussing who to watch the base, to act as a decoy to distract the Troupe and also, to be Kurapika's driver.

"Mana, do you really want to join in?" Gon asked as he was worried actually.

Mana observed his expression. She knew that he didn't want her to join. Kurapika sensed that too.

"Mana will be with Leorio all the time. That means she'll be in the car," he said to reassure Gon.

"Ah…that sounds better," Gon sighed, relieved.

"Hey, why are you accepting our help now?" Killua asked Kurapika.

The blond replied that the risk he was taking has increased, adding that he had to eliminate Pakunoda immediately. Gon gazed at his friend in front of him.

"Kurapika, put a Nen blade in me," Gon abruptly requested, shocking the others.

Leorio quickly reminded him that Kurapika would die if he attacks anyone other than the Troupe members. Gon asked why there is on in Kurapika's heart and he is not one of the spiders.

"What I'm about to tell you will increase my risk further," the blond started.

"Okay," Leorio said, getting up from his seat.

He decided not to listen. He persuaded Killua to not listen too. The silver haired pulled Mana with him, making Gon a bit jealous but he hid that fact. The three exited the café.

Once they were out, "Let's sneak back in," Leorio whispered.

"Huh?" Killua and Mana said in unison.

"I just don't want Kurapika to feel too worried to tell Gon. That's why I made it look like that I didn't want to know. However, we are all in this together, right? Why not all of us have the blade…" the young man explained.

Killua shifted his stare to Mana. "Well? Want to do it?" he asked.

Mana held her left hand in her right one. "I g-guess…I d-do want to know," she muttered.

Blinking at her, Leorio asked, "Hmm? Why are you so nervous?"

"No reason. Well, let's go," Killua answered before Mana could open her mouth.

They sneaked back in and hid behind the chair where Kurapika was sitting. They listened to what he was saying. He told Gon that he has five chains with only two for attacking the spiders. One of the two is Chain Jail where the bounded target is forced into a state of Zetsu and that one was used to capture the spider. The other one is Judgement Chain, a blade that is used to pierce one's heart and create a rule for them to follow. If they disobeyed the rule, they will die.

"As you've figure out, I pointed a blade at my own heart. I was in doubt whether using the chain on myself would be considered as rule breaking, so I adjust the rule. The Chain Jail is the only attack on the spiders, meaning that the other chains can be used on others," he continued.

He told Gon that a condition must be made: the chains can only be used when his eyes are scarlet. Gon replied that he should decide the rule. That was when the three stood up.

"Can you make four of those blades?" Killua asked.

"You can rescind the rule once our mission is over, right?" Leorio continued with a smile.

"Killua! Leorio! Mana!" Gon said, surprised.

Leorio and Killua looked at each other. "We had a little talk. Since we're working together…we should share the same fate. What do you say?" the young man explained.

Kurapika shut his eyes. "The answer to both of the questions is yes. But you four are wholly mistaken. I never had any intentions on using my blade on you guys," he replied calmly.

"Then why endanger yourself by telling us your secret?" Gon asked.

"I want to thank all of you for your resolve. Even if one of you ends up revealing my secret, I will have no regrets," the blond said with a smile, "I have good friends…"

Mana smiled broadly at his words. She glanced up Killua, knowing that he was faintly blushing. He announced that he would be heading out.

"Be careful, Killua!" Gon called out.

"Yeah, I got this," Killua replied, taking a glimpse of Gon waiving to him.

He shifted his glance to Mana and she replied with a slow nod. Kurapika went to change into a disguise. The other three didn't go anywhere. Mana took a seat beside Gon to wait for Kurapika.

"Mana, if anything goes wrong, you must escape," Gon whispered to her.

"Huh? What? Why?" she asked.

Gon clenched his right fist and half growled, "I just…don't want you to get hurt anymore…"

* * *

The door of the car opened. Kurapika asked Mana to get out. Then, he pushed a black haired man with a coat into the car. After getting in, he pulled Mana to seat beside him. They were at Beitacle Hotel and Kurapika was wearing a different disguise than the previous one. Senritsu was with them at the time.

"Let's get moving, Leorio," he said to his driver.

"Alright!" Leorio replied, starting the car.

"We're going to Lingon Airport," the blond said, taking off his wig.

He felt a light tremble on his left. Mana was the one who was trembling. He knew why and so, he wrapped his left arm around her as comfort. The leader of the spider provoked Kurapika, saying that he was not afraid of death. Senritsu confirmed that it was true. Kurapika snapped but, Mana was there and so he acted calm.

"Kurapika…" the girl stuttered.

Patting her head, he kissed her forehead. He knew she was worried about the two boys. Now that she was in the same car as the Troupe's leader, he could sense that she was scared. Kurapika spoke with the woman, Pakunoda via her boss' phone. After awhile of negotiation, he told her to go the airport alone.

"Kurapika…" she called out, holding onto his coat.

"We're going to save them…" he whispered so that only she could hear him.

Mana nodded slowly. Once they arrived at the airport, Kurapika, Senritsu and the leader got out. Mana was told to wait in the car with Leorio. She sensed that Kurapika was not in his relaxed state and worried about him.

Noticing Mana's expression, Leorio said, "You don't have to go after him. He will be fine. Plus, he has Senritsu with him…"

Mana stared down at her lap. She stuttered, "I g-guess…"

She knew that she shouldn't be worried as they were all strong as well as her health would worsen again. However, she couldn't help but felt that way.

"Hey, Mana? Are you okay?" Leorio asked, hearing her ragged breath. "Please, be fine! We're going to save them, right? They're fine!"

"I thought that Kurapika didn't value life..." she started.

Leorio was surprised at what she had just said. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"But seeing how hard he was trying to save Killua and Gon, I'm positive he knows the value of life more than anyone else..." she muttered.

"You're creeping me out..." the young man replied, sweat dropping a bit.

Senritsu came after a few minutes. She told them to follow her as they and boarded a blue airship. Kurapika and the leader of the Troupe were there. The blond noticed Mana's worsening condition. He widened his eyes to her but she calmly smiled to him.

They looked out through the window. Catching Pakunoda, Killua and Gon's figure, Kurapika called her. He ordered her to take the other airship. That was when another figure was seen. It was Hisoka. Hisoka called Kurapika, threatening that he would kill the two boys if he wasn't let onto the airship too.

"Kurapika…" Mana gazed at him.

The blond obliged and let Hisoka on too. They stopped on a large cliff. After confirming that Killua and Gon weren't manipulated, the exchange began. Once they got to their side, Gon high-fived Leorio with a smile while Killua acted calm as he would always do. He glanced up Mana and noticed that her face flushed.

"I'm g-glad you both are a-alright…" she stammered.

Her eyes were getting blurry and she couldn't feel her feet. Killua widened his eyes at her state. He rushed in to catch her when she suddenly collapsed.

"What happened to her?" he demanded.

"I think she was too worried, causing her condition to worsen again," Leorio explained.

"I'll carry her inside the airship," Gon volunteered.

Killua stared at Gon, handing Mana to him. The black haired picked her up. They boarded the airship and headed back to the city.

**Sooooo, is it good? It's not really good to me.** **I want to know what you guys think so don't forget to review!**


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